by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships

2013 PATH Conference

August 3, 2013

Held at the UC Berkeley School of Law

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and the UC Berkeley School of Law will co-host the fourth Public Defender Advocacy, Training & Hiring (PATH) Conference.

PATH is designed for law students and recent graduates who are interested in learning more about careers in indigent criminal defense representation.

Beginning with an opening plenary, the day includes 4 concurrent tracks for you to choose from, taught by public defenders from throughout the country. Additionally, the Lunch with the Defenders offers you an opportunity to sit in small groups and discuss with talented and committed advocates how their offices hire, what types of candidates they seek and other information to help you plan your careers.

Registration is now open!

Please click here to sign up for the conference.

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association is now seeking nominations for the 2013 Kutak-Dodds Prize, an annual award that goes to a lawyer whose work makes a significant contribution to improving the human dignity of the poor.

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If you’re in D.C. for the summer, this is a great opportunity to network with other public interest law students and lawyers! Check out the details and a message from our friends at the Washington Council of Lawyers after the jump:

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From our friends at Equal Justice Works:

Thank you for the overwhelming response to last month’s promotion for our student debt e-book, Take Control of Your Future. We’re happy to announce that C. Lee of Brooklyn, NY was the winner of the $100 Amazon gift card!

Even if you didn’t win (we never win anything either!) we still urge you to purchase Take Control of Your Future. At only $5.99 it won’t break the bank, and it’s an incredible resource for anyone who has (or constantly gets asked) questions about borrowing, repayment or forgiveness for federal student loans.

In other news, our free June webinars are:

Drowning in Debt? Learn How Government and Nonprofit Workers Can Earn Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Wednesday, June 12, 3-4 p.m. EDT

Thursday, June 27, 3-4 p.m. EDT

A must attend for anyone with educational debt planning to work or currently working for the government or a nonprofit, this webinar explains how you can benefit from income driven repayment plans, including President Obama’s new Pay As You Earn program, and exactly how Public Service Loan Forgiveness works.

While you’re waiting for the next webinar, catch up on all the student debt news at the Student Loan Ranger. Last month we reviewed the proposals in Congress to halt the imminent doubling of interest rates on subsidized Federal Direct Loans, examined the student debt struggles of service members, and took  a look at a proposal to simplify the student loan system (that would be nice!). This month’s topics include the effect of the upcoming budget battles on education and take a look at if (or how much) the Department of Education profits on student loans.

by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

Save the date! The East of the River Casehandlers group is having their annual lunch-and-learn next month on 07/18, and it’s sure to be an eye-opening and informative experience for any public interest law student or lawyer working in D.C. over the summer.

From the group:

The East of the River Casehandlers group invites all legal interns, summer associates, law students and pro bono attorneys to find out more about practicing public interest law east of the Anacostia River. This brown bag lunch program and panel will feature attorneys from legal services providers that serve the residents of these diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. The panel will include a former legal services client who will help us better understand the challenges low-income residents face every day. Imoni Washington of the DC Bar Foundation will also join us to discuss the Loan Repayment Assistance Program for public interest lawyers working in the District and the recent grants the DCBF has made to legal services providers east of the river. Registration for this event will open on June 24, 2013.

For those unfamiliar with Washington, D.C. geography, “east of the Anacostia River” refers to the historically under-served communities of Wards 7 and 8 in the southeast and southwest sections of the city. The hosting group – East of the River Casehandlers – meets every three months in Ward 8 to share information, discuss strategies and plan legal information programs for community members and legal services attorneys.

The event will take place from 12 – 1:30pm, and is tentatively located at Neighborhood Legal Services Program of D.C., at 3101 MLK Avenue SE. To register for “Practicing Public Interest Law East of the Anacostia River”, contact Heather Hodges at HHodges@nlsp.org or (202) 269-5100.

The National LGBT Bar Association is now accepting submissions for the Michael Greenberg Writing Competition, the Student Leadership Award and the International Association of LGBT Judges Writing Competition:

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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:

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!

Law school debt affects many elements of an attorney’s professional career, from the selection of a post-graduate employer to stressing about repayment options. Lack of proper debt management can have a wide range of consequences, not only on law graduates but on the public service organizations that employ them. As legal aid groups and non-profits face a dearth of available positions and the threat of funding cuts, it’s becoming more and more important to stay financially literate so your employees can afford to be advocates for marginalized communities.

For this reason, NALP has engaged Heather Jarvis to serve as our student debt expert to provide members with information, best practices and professional insight related to educational debt and repayment options for law students and graduates. Tomorrow on March 12 at 2:00 pm, she’ll be leading the webinar Recruit and Retain the Best and Brightest in Spite of Their Student Loan Debt: NALP’s Step-by-Step Guide for Public Service Employers.

If you are a public interest employer, please respond to this brief survey to help Heather Jarvis tailor her efforts to your needs! See you at the webinar tomorrow!

The Center for International Human Rights at Northwestern University School of Law invites nominations for its 2013 Global Jurist of the Year Award. The deadline is March 15, 2013.

The Award is granted annually to a judge in recognition of that judge’s contribution to the advancement of international human rights law or international criminal law. Special account is taken of those who have shown outstanding dedication to the rule of law and courage in the face of adversity, including personal risk. Jurists from all nations and tribunals are eligible for consideration.Nominations can be submitted electronically to j-sorensen@law.northwestern.edu or by mail to Professor Juliet Sorensen, Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern University School of Law, 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

The present value of the annual award is $5,000. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Northwestern University School of Law in Fall 2013.

For more info:

eben.saling@law.northwestern.edu

312-503-8579

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/humanrights/