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Criminal Ground Coordinator

An attorney based on site at Oceti Sakowin who will work with experienced mass defense lawyers and local lawyers to implement and coordinate criminal representation and an effective mass defense strategy. Compensation is available and will be commensurate with both experience and need.

• Assign tasks to on-site attorneys including jail advisements, meet with Public Defender’s (PD’s) office, jail visits
• Work with Court Support Coordinator to maintain arrestee database, evidence database, arrestee listserv, and assist with arrestee meetings
• Work with the Remote Volunteer Coordinator to assign criminal cases to attorneys, to assign research and drafting tasks and oversee motions/a brief bank
• Coordination with local lawyers, PD
• Coordination/negotiation with law enforcement
• Coordination with Tribal entities
• Coordinate with Oceti Sakowin, Red Warrior, Sacred Stone and other camps and organizations on-site such as Honor the Earth and the Indigenous Environmental Network
• Work with communications coordinator to keep remote legal team updated and on public messaging
• Supervise Legal Observers as appropriate
• Report to Water Protector Legal Collective (WPLC) Criminal Liaison on WPLC Board

Apply by November 26, 2016 to:

Water Protector Legal Collective at waterprotectorlegalhiring@gmail.com

Please include “Criminal Ground Coordinator” in the subject line of your email.

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Summer 2017 Legal Internship

The Organization: 

The Georgia Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit law office in Atlanta dedicated to providing free, high-quality representation to death-sentenced men and women in their state and federal habeas and clemency proceedings. The Georgia Resource Center is responsible for ensuring that all of Georgia’s death sentenced prisoners have meaningful and vigorous representation at this critical stage of death penalty case review.

The Position: 

Interns directly assist in all aspects of GRC’s work, including interviewing witnesses, compiling life histories, visiting clients, conducting legal research, and drafting memos and briefs. Interns often have the opportunity to attend court proceedings, such as state-court evidentiary hearings and oral arguments before the Georgia Supreme Court and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. We seek highly-motivated, public-interest-oriented law students with a passion for indigent defense and human rights to be our summer interns. Previous experience working with prisoners or individuals with mental health issues is a plus, as is professional experience prior to law school. The candidates we hire must have excellent legal writing and research skills, be at ease around all types of people, and ready for any task.

Ready to apply? Find the full post on PSJD.

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Elder Law Fellow.

The Organziation:

For many years, Columbia Legal Services has represented some of the most marginalized people in our community. We use every legal tool available on their behalf. Our role to serve people and use advocacy that might otherwise not be available makes our work an integral part of the Washington Alliance for Equal Justice. As a proud member of the Alliance, our vision of justice is when people have the necessary tools and opportunity to achieve social and economic justice, a more equitable and inclusive society is possible. Through large-scale litigation, policy reform, and innovative partnerships, our lawyers and staff work in furtherance of our mission. The ideal candidate for any position at Columbia Legal Services will be able to articulate their role in the achievement of that vision.

The Position:

Columbia Legal Services seeks a one-year Elder Law Fellow to support its practice on behalf of low-income clients and to advance systemic reform. Areas of practice on behalf of seniors will include public benefits, guardianship, housing, and access to medical or mental health services. A willingness and ability to learn these areas is critical to success.

Interested in this fellowship? Find the full post on PSJD.

As a 2L, hearing Justice Kagan speak was truly moving. I teared up hearing her talk about Justice Thurgood Marshall. She recounted that being Solicitor General was his favorite job because he loved to say “I’m Thurgood Marshall and I represent the United States of America.” (I even teared up typing that—law school has fanned an unexpected patriotic wildfire in me!) She kept the whole room laughing for the entire hour. After explaining that one of her duties as the junior justice is to serve on the cafeteria committee, she admitted that her successful advocacy for the clerks’ desired dessert earned her the nickname “the frozen yogurt Justice.”

I also had the opportunity to see Ralph Nader speak about access to justice. Afterward, he stayed for over an hour to sign books and meet people. As he wrapped up I got to chat with him for 10 minutes or so along with a few other nearby law students. (Just a typical Friday, right? I wish!) I told him about the “unreasonably nerdy law student field trip” my fellow interns and I undertook this summer from Philadelphia to multiple sites of famous cases we studied during 1L, which culminated in a trip to Mr. Nader’s American Museum of Tort Law. I also found out he not only knows of the small plaintiff firm I will work for this upcoming summer but thinks one of them is “a legend.” He even asked for my business card!

I got to hang with some other amazing folks as well, who are not quite as far along in their careers. I met Zaire Selden, a 1L evening student in DC. We bonded over our shared passions for racial justice, got lunch, and then ran into Mr. Nader for that 10-minute chat (after which he gave Zaire a signed copy of his book). At the Student Networking Reception I met Shana Emile, a 3L in LA. We bonded over our shared passion about the School-to-Prison Pipeline. I also had the chance to hear about her summer internship with the Southern Poverty Law Center and tell her about my work advocating for Philadelphia children in school disciplinary hearings with our law student volunteer group, School Discipline Advocacy Service.

It was so restorative to connect with Zaire, Shana, and other law students who are trying to forge new public interest opportunities at their law schools. I encouraged them to apply to be EJW law student reps, and maybe even to be on the National Advisory Committee. (Okay you caught me in a shameless plug…but seriously, these are two great opportunities for law students that also help connect people to EJW resources and supports, so, why not!) I got to chat with law school professionals too, like Ray English from Arizona State University Law and Norma D’Apolito from Yale. I met a Temple Law alum, Qudsiya Naqui, and we got to gush about shared professors and all things Temple. And I met Christina Jackson and Delisa Morris, who encouraged me to write this blog post! Networking with other social justice minded law students and professionals was truly empowering and encouraging. I even have a phone call scheduled for next week with another law student to discuss how to create new public interest opportunities at her law school across the country.

I was also able to lay more concrete groundwork for job opportunities at table talks. Though I did not have any prescheduled interviews, I got to sit down with attorneys from the DOJ, Defender Association, and Capital Habeas Unit. I also scoped out the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Brennan Center. There truly are opportunities for everyone with any inclination toward social justice; I left with many business cards and new contacts.

There were great panels about social entrepreneurship, incubators, immigration, racial justice, debt, and more. We got to hear from successful attorneys like Lam Nguyen Ho about how they crafted opportunities to do their work. Listening to their stories enabled me to envision myself in their shoes one day soon.

My experience at the Equal Justice Works Career & Conference Fair is best summed up in this email I sent to someone the following day:

“Seriously, that was amazing. I’m in awe of how many awesome people I got to speak with doing such incredible work, and I am proud to just share the same space (or as Jojo said about Justice Kagan, breathe the same air!) as them.”

Justice Kagan said she is “a huge believer in serendipity…especially in legal careers.” Trust me when I say there are plenty of serendipitous moments at the CCF. With over 1000 students and 160 employers, how can there not be?

I hope to see you there next year!

Liz Schultz is a 2L at Temple Law. She can be reached at elizabeth.schultz@temple.edu

Photo: Brenda Gottesman – CC License

Supervisory Attorney Advisor (Asst. General Counsel, Gen. Law & EthicsThis position is an Assistant General Counsel for General Law and Ethics in the Legal Division of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Incumbent provides legal and policy advice to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for General Law and Ethics primarily in the areas of labor and employment law. Incumbent may also advise in general law such as government ethics, procurement, fiscal and budget, intellectual property, government records management, and information collection, protection, and dissemination. Incumbent will supervise a subordinate staff of support personnel and attorneys who provide advice and handle legal matters in these areas. The General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the CFPB and is responsible for ensuring the legality of all CFPB programs and activities.

Think this is the job for you? See the full post on PSJD.

Photo: Brenda Gottesman – CC License

FOIL Attorney

The Office of the Counsel to the Mayor provides legal advice to the Mayor and City Hall staff and manages legal and other policy initiatives on inequality at the direction of the Mayor, including universal broadband access, green jobs and Fire Department diversity.

About the Role:

The Office of the Counsel to the Mayor is now accepting applications from admitted attorneys for an Assistant Corporation Counsel to primarily manage the processing of requests under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and assure compliance with conflict of interest rules. Through work with others in the Office, City Hall staff and City agencies, the Assistant Corporation Counsel will further the administration’s commitment to effective government. Responsibilities of the Assistant Corporation Counsel in this position would include:

• Coordinating with City Hall staff concerning FOIL and document retention requests;

• Reviewing potentially responsive documents to FOIL requests, in some cases utilizing specialized document review software;

• Administering and further developing as necessary the Offices system for tracking FOIL requests;

• Producing weekly updates on FOIL processing;

• In coordination with other staff, ensuring effective communication with FOIL requestors;

• Educating City Hall staff and staff at other agencies about the requirements of FOIL;

• Assuring compliance with Chapter 68 of the Charter and the rules of the Conflict of Interest Board.

Is this your entry-level dream job? Check out PSJD to see the full-post.

Photo: Brenda Gottesman – CC License

SEIU Law Student Program/Law Clerks and Externs (Spring 2017)

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has openings for part-time law clerks and full- and part-time externs during the Spring 2017 academic term. The duration of the internship is January 2017 through May 2017.

SEIU is a progressive, dynamic and growing labor organization representing over 2 million members in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, principally in the property service, public service, and health care fields. Attorneys in SEIU’s Legal Department engage in innovative lawyering to further the organization’s interests in organizing new workers, improving working conditions, engaging in political action, and achieving social justice. This includes representation of SEIU in litigation before courts and administrative agencies involving the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, election campaign finance laws, and local and state labor relations statutes.

Law clerks and externs in the SEIU Legal Department conduct legal research and draft legal memoranda, work with attorneys on pending litigation, attend hearings and conferences, and meet with union leaders.

Think this internship will kick your legal career off right? Checkout PSJD for the full-post.

Photo: Brenda Gottesman – CC License

NYC Social Justice Post-Graduate Fellowship

The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services will sponsor The New York City Social Justice Post-Graduate Fellowship (SJPF) a full-time program for law school graduates to gain professional experience within municipal government. In its inaugural year, SJPF will run as a pilot program for nine months from January 2017 – September 2017.

Fellows will be placed within City agencies, offices, or the City Council in roles that complement their skill sets, interests, and expertise. The work will be legal in nature. Fellows will work on projects that foster equity for under served and under resourced communities, and engage in issue areas that impact communities that experience disparate outcomes across the five boroughs. In this capacity, Fellows will have the opportunity to collaborate with senior level policymakers, elected officials, and participate directly in the work of policy making and governance.

While taking part in the work of government, SJP Fellows will also be required to participate in specially designed educational and professional development programming throughout the year that will help them serve as effective government leaders.

Think this is your golden opportunity? Visit PSJD to see the full post.