Equal Justice Works offers free monthly webinars to educate attorneys on how federal programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness can make public interest legal careers financially feasible. Our next webinar is on Wednesday, October 8 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT.

There has been a spate of proposals recently purporting to “fix” Public Service Loan Forgiveness, including one proposed in a recent task force report from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). Unfortunately, it would gut the program by making it ineffective for many graduate and professional students.

NASFAA recommends forgiveness up to 100% of the independent undergraduate loan limit (currently $57.5K) and 50% of any remaining loan balance up to the graduate aggregate Stafford Loan limit (currently $138.5K). Let’s see how that would work for an average public interest lawyer.

Assume our lawyer has $125,000 in loans (about the average amount borrowed for a private law school) and starts a public interest job at a starting salary of $45,000 (about the mean for a public interest legal job).  If she repays her loans in Income-Based Repayment (IBR) and earns Public Service Loan Forgiveness under NASFAA’s formula, she will still have about $52,000 remaining on her loans. If she remains in IBR to ensure her payments remain affordable, she will be repaying her loans for almost 13 more years.

With tens of millions of low- and moderate-income Americans unable to afford legal services, we need dedicated public interest attorneys more than ever. NASFAA’s proposal to limit the forgiveness graduate and professional students can earn in return for 10 years of dedicated work would erode the law’s core purpose of encouraging a wide range of public interest careers. The result will be far fewer public interest attorneys, as well as teachers, social workers, nurses, and others.

To learn how Public Service currently works – and should continue working – and get information on what’s happening in Congress, register for our free October webinar.

• Wednesday, October 8 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT.
  JDs in Debt: What Law Students & Lawyers Need to Know about Managing Student Loans & Earning Public Service Loan Forgiveness

You can also register for free webinars in November and December.

If you register but cannot attend, you will receive a recording of the webinar you can view anytime. 

Interested in increasing access to justice while learning more about shelter, housing, and public benefits law? Consider volunteering with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless! Our next New Volunteer Training will take place in October.

Date: Thursday, October 9, 2014
Time: 11:45 am – 4:00 pm (lunch will be provided)
Location: Arent Fox (1717 K Street, NW)
RSVP: kaitlyn.uhl@legalclinic.org or 202.328.1263

The core of the Legal Clinic’s work is the representation of individual low- and no-income clients through a network of over 250 volunteer attorneys and legal assistants. After attending a New Volunteer Training, volunteers obtain clients at one of seven intake sites run by the Legal Clinic at meal programs, health clinics, and day programs throughout the District. Our intake sessions last for one hour and, on average, about 3-5 clients attend each intake. If clients present legal issues that meet our case selection guidelines, then the intake volunteer acts as the primary legal representative for those clients. Legal Clinic staff attorneys provide advice and guidance on all volunteer cases.

Attendance is required for all new volunteers. Attorneys must be authorized to practice law in the District of Columbia: attorneys must be a current member of the D.C. Bar or have begun the process for waiving in admission; attorneys employed by the Federal Government must be a member in good standing in the highest court of any state. Paralegals may volunteer only in partnership with and under the direct supervision of an attorney authorized to practice in D.C.

Questions? Please contact the Legal Clinic’s volunteer coordinator at kaitlyn.uhl@legalclinic.org or 202-328-1263.

by Sam Halpert, PSJD Fellow (2014 – 2015)

PSJD is about legal careers. And legal careers are about networking. (I know you know, but if you’re at all like me you need frequent reminders.) For that reason, we changed one of our key resources last May.

PSJD’s “Public Interest Career Fair Calendar” is now PSJD’s Public Interest Career Fair and Events Calendar. Traditionally, this resource was for helping students find traditional career fairs in their area, such as (for example) the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair happening next month in Bethesda, Maryland (register by October 10^th!). Now, the calendar also includes events covering substantive issues in public interest and government law that are open to the general public, such as the Emory Public Interest Committee’s 11^th Annual Public Interest Conference happening in Atlanta, Georgia this Saturday, September 27^th (the topic is “Legal Issues in Fostering & Adopting”). In the future, we hope to migrate the calendar to a more expected calendar layout. For the time being, at least, we’ll also promote these events through the PSJD Facebook page shortly before they occur.

Unlike our previous system, this means that not every event in the calendar may be meaningful to you. While career fairs often appeal to a wide slice of the public interest pie, these substantive events are narrower. However, we hope you’ll find this shift helpful. Remember: You can’t just look for work by answering job postings and attending career fairs. You need to meet the people in your field and familiarize yourself with their attitudes and issues. Become knowledgeable. Become known. Substantive conferences—especially ones that happen off your campus or outside your city—can help with that. And PSJD, with the help of its law school subscribers, can help you hear about them.

The Equal Justice Works annual Conference and Career Fair is the largest public interest legal career fair in the country. It is the only event where you’ll find more than 1,200 public interest-minded students representing 200 law schools from across the country coming together to explore career options with more than 130 leading nonprofit organizations and government agencies.  The Conference and Career Fair provides access to job opportunities for law students; connects employers with talented attorneys and law students; and offers a multitude of skill-building and career advising sessions with experts from around the country. Our conference continues to be an unparalleled networking opportunity for students, law school professionals and legal professionals. Students and recent graduates can apply for interviews through September 16 and may register to attend informal table talk networking and workshop sessions through October 10. For more information, visit the Equal Justice Works website.

by Sam Halpert, PSJD Fellow (2014 – 2015)

This week, the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program announced the launch of a new national practice area within Probono.net designed specifically for federal government attorneys. Probono.net is Pro Bono Net’s national online resource promoting collaboration between attorneys in order to foster pro bono work. The new practice area, located at www.probono.net/governmentprobono, helps government attorneys understand how to avoid conflicts of interest, connect with pro bono programs in different geographical areas, and locate the pro bono policies of various federal agencies.

Lise B. Adams, Assistant Director of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, took time when announcing the resource to thank the multitude of federal government lawyers who take time to handle pro bono cases in their individual capacity through the D.C. Bar’s various clinical programs.

The following is a message from Equal Justice Works and an announcement about their next student debt webinar.

Relief for Underwater Student Borrowers Act

On July 29, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) introduced the Relief for Underwater Student Borrowers Act (H.R. 5239). This bill would prevent borrowers who earn forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of consistent repayment in the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) and Pay as You Earn (PAYE) repayment plans from having to pay taxes on the amount forgiven. Millions of borrowers currently face the possibility of having to deal with this potentially devastating tax liability. We urge you to call your Congressperson and Senators to support this bill!

To learn more about IBR, PAYE and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (tax-free forgiveness you earn by working at a wide range of qualifying public service jobs for ten years!) please attend our free webinar, Drowning in Debt! What Law Students & Lawyers Need to Know About Managing Student Debt & Earning Loan Forgiveness, on Wednesday, August 27 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT. If you register but cannot attend, you will receive a recording of the webinar you can view anytime.

If you have recently watched one of our webinars, please forward this information on to anyone you think might benefit from it. Our student debt webinars are tailored for law students and lawyers, but the information is accessible and applicable to anyone who needs help managing their student debt.

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter (@EJW_org, #studentdebthelp) and on Facebook.

Isaac Bowers
Associate Director, Law School Engagement & Advocacy
Equal Justice Works

ibowers@equaljusticeworks.org | www.equaljusticeworks.org

Will Public Service Loan Forgiveness be Capped?

In March, President Obama’s 2015 budget was released. To the dismay of many, it proposed capping Public Service Loan Forgiveness at $57,500. Now it is Congress’ turn to act.

Our July 31 webinar, Drowning in Debt! What Law Students & Lawyers Need to Know About Managing Student Debt & Earning Loan Forgiveness, will cover the good and the bad in President Obama’s budget proposal, what’s happening in Congress and the implications for both students and graduates. As always, we’ll also cover in detail what you need to know now about making your monthly student loan payments affordable and earning Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter (@EJW_org, #studentdebthelp) and on Facebook.

“Practicing Public Interest Law East of the Anacostia River”: 4th Annual Summer Panel Discussion with the East of the River Casehandlers

Friday, July 18, 2014 | 12:30 pm – 2 pm | Deanwood Neighborhood Library | 1350 49th St NE, Washington DC 20019

Metro: Deanwood (Orange Line)

THE PROGRAM

The East of the River Casehandlers group invites all legal interns, summer associates, law students and pro bono attorneys to come find out more about practicing public interest law east of the Anacostia River. This informal panel discussion will feature attorneys from DC legal services providers that serve the low-income residents of these diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. Imoni Washington of the DC Bar Foundation will join us after the provider panel 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. We will also have information available on student internship and pro bono opportunities with EOTR legal services providers.

PANELISTS

Bread for the City: Taylor Healy (Equal Justice Works Fellow) | Employment Justice Center: Melody Webb (Legal Director) |Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia: Nina Wu (Staff Attorney) Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia: Kristin Hucek (Loaned Associate from Covington & Burling LLP) | Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities: Morgan K. Whitlatch (Senior Attorney)

MODERATOR

Keeshea Turner Roberts (Managing Attorney, Neighborhood Legal Services Program)

REGISTRATION

To register, contact Heather Hodges at 202.269.5100 or hhodges@nlsp.<orgmailto:hhodges@nlsp.org>. This program is intended to be highly interactive and driven by your questions. We encourage you to submit any questions you have with your registration request.

ABOUT US

The East of the River Casehandlers meet every three months at the Anacostia Library to share program information and discuss strategies for dealing with issues of common concern to our low-income clients in Wards 7 and 8. We also conduct legal information programs for community members and legal services attorneys. Our next meeting will be on August 22, 2014. Please send an e-mail to EastoftheRiverLawyers-subscribe@mail.lawhelp.<orgmailto:EastoftheRiverLawyers-subscribe@mail.lawhelp.org> if you would like to join our listserv.

The Washington Council of Lawyers has put together a great list of summer public interest events in DC.
2014 Summer Public Interest Events for Law Students in Washington, DC

For more information, visit http://www.probono.net/dc/calendar/

Tuesday, July 8 | 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Perspectives on Poverty Law from the Bench: DC Court of Appeals – Washington Council of Lawyers DC Court of Appeals (430 E Street, NW – Multipurpose Room; Red Line: Judiciary Square)
Learn more and register at http://wclawyers.org/
Three Court of Appeals judges will discuss how poverty impacts the justice system, the critical role that pro bono and public interest attorneys play in securing access to justice, and how a public interest career path can lead to a judicial appointment.

Wednesday, July 9 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Fellowships 101: An Introduction to Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships –
Washington Council of Lawyers
Georgetown Law (600 New Jersey Avenue, NW – Hart Auditorium; Red Line: Union Station)
Learn more and register at http://wclawyers.org/
A panel discussion of the ins and outs of project-based fellowship programs. Expert panelists
will offer tips and insights about how to craft the best fellowship proposals while in law school.

Thursday, July 10 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
An Evening at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Arent Fox LLP
Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW; Orange/Blue Line: Smithsonian)
For more information, contact Emily.Dorsey@arentfox.com
Gerard Leval, General Counsel of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and a partner atArent Fox LLP, will discuss legal issues relating to the development of the museum and those affecting the museum’s operations since its opening in 1993.

Wednesday, July 16 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Public Interest Happy Hour – Washington Council of Lawyers
Thomas Foolery (2029 P Street, NW; Red Line: Dupont Circle)
Celebrity guest bartenders pour your drink: Jim Sandman (Legal Services Corporation), Paul Smith (Jenner & Block), Virginia Sloan (The Constitution Project), and William Treanor (Georgetown University Law Center). @washlawyers

Friday, July 18 | 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Practicing Public Interest Law East of the Anacostia River:
4th Annual Summer Panel Discussion with the East of the River Casehandlers
Deanwood Library (1350 49th Street, NE; Orange Line: Deanwood)
To register, contact Heather Hodges at 202.269.5100 or hhodges@nlsp.org
A discussion about student internships and pro bono opportunities east of the river, the DC Bar Foundation’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program for public interest lawyers in DC, and the DC legal services providers that serve the low-income residents of the diverse and vibrant
neighborhoods east of the river.

Thursday, July 24 | 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Perspectives on Poverty Law from the Bench: Office of Administrative Hearings –
Washington Council of Lawyers
Arnold & Porter LLP (555 12th Street, NW; Orange/Blue/Red Line: Metro Center)
Learn more and register at http://wclawyers.org/
Three DC Office of Administrative Hearings judges will discuss how poverty impacts the justice
system, the critical role that pro bono and public interest attorneys play in securing access to justice, and how a public interest career path can lead to a judicial appointment.

Wednesday, July 30 | 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Perspectives on Poverty Law from the Bench: US District Court for the District of Columbia –
Washington Council of Lawyers
McDermott Will & Emery (500 North Capitol Street, NW; Red Line: Union Station)
Learn more and register at http://wclawyers.org/
Three DC District Court judges will discuss how poverty impacts the justice system, the critical role that pro bono and public interest attorneys play in securing access to justice, and how a public interest career path can lead to a judicial appointment.

Monday, August 18 – Friday, August 22
13th Annual Human Rights on the Hill – University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
To join the list for more information, including a session schedule, write to JFL@udc.edu
The course features presentations from a wide range of human rights lawyers, activists and governmental agency leaders. No credit is offered, no tuition is charged, donations are accepted, and you can go to one or all of the classes.

“Practicing Public Interest Law East of the Anacostia River”: 4th Annual Summer Panel Discussion with the East of the River Casehandlers

Friday, July 18, 2014  |  12:30 pm – 2 pm Deanwood Neighborhood Library  | 1350 49th St NE, Washington DC 20019

Metro: Deanwood (Orange Line)

THE PROGRAM

The East of the River Casehandlers group invites all legal interns, summer associates, law students and pro bono attorneys to come find out more about practicing public interest law east of the Anacostia River.  This informal panel discussion will feature attorneys from DC legal services providers that serve the low-income residents of these diverse and vibrant neighborhoods.  Imoni Washington of the DC Bar Foundation will join us after the provider panel 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.  We will also have information available on student internship and pro bono opportunities with EOTR legal services providers.

REGISTRATION

To register, contact Heather Hodges at 202.269.5100 or hhodges@nlsp.org. This program is intended to be highly interactive and driven by your questions.  We encourage you to submit any questions you have with your registration request.

ABOUT US

The East of the River Casehandlers meet every three months at the Anacostia Library  to share program information and discuss strategies for dealing with issues of common concern to our low-income clients in Wards 7 and 8.  We also conduct legal information programs for community members and legal services attorneys.  Our next meeting will be on August 22, 2014.  Please send an e-mail to EastoftheRiverLawyers-subscribe@mail.lawhelp.org if you would like to join our listserv.