Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) is an innovative partnership among the Microsoft Corporation, Angelina Jolie and other interested philanthropists, law firms and corporate supporters. KIND is dedicated to providing both pro bono representation and positive systemic changes in law and policy to benefit unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children. Launched in fall 2008, KIND is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

KIND seeks a Pro Bono Coordinator in New York City to help develop, maintain, and oversee the provision of pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied children through KIND’s network of major law firms and corporate partners.  This includes helping children to understand the immigration process and training volunteer attorneys to effectively represent individual child clients before immigration authorities.  The Pro Bono Coordinator’s role does not include direct legal representation.

Learn how to apply at PSLawNet!

The Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings is looking for a law student intern to work 6-8 weeks this summer, starting in mid-May.  The Center is located at the University of Maryland’s College of Education, just outside of Washington, DC.

The intern will work directly with David Domenici, the Center’s Director, researching and writing on a handful of legal and policy issues related to juvenile justice and education reform work. David is one of the co-founders of the Maya Angelou Schools in Washington, D.C. (www.seeforever.org), a long-time advocate for underserved and at-risk students, and a graduate of Stanford Law School.

For more information, see the listing at PSLawNet!

By: Steve Grumm

Senator Dick Durbin doesn’t understand why some student loans are treated differently than other forms of personal debt.  And he’s looking to make a change.  From the Blog of the Legal Times:

The congressional overhaul of bankruptcy laws in 2005 included a provision that students with private college loans can’t discharge those debts in bankruptcy courts, and now Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wants to change that.

At a hearing on Capitol Hill today, Durbin said there is no reason why private student loans should be treated differently from other private debt in bankruptcy. “That means that students are stuck with these loans for life,” he says. He wants to restore law to pre-2005 standards.

“How in the world did that provision get into the law?” Durbin said. “It was a mystery amendment. We can’t find out who offered it.”

…

G. Marcus Cole, a Stanford University law professor, said he was sympathetic with the plight of students trapped in huge debts, but was concerned about allowing loans to be discharged. Durbin’s legislation would raise the cost of student borrowing for all student loans, would dry up the entire student loan market, and reduce the affordability of such loans.

In student loans, the person is borrowing against their future capital, Cole said. “If you take away the exemption from discharge, you’re essentially saying to the lender that they can’t look at that future for sure,” he said. “That increases the risk premium that has to be charged across all loans.”

Durbin said he did not buy that argument. “If it really was so compelling, it wouldn’t be slipped in as it was here.”

The Legal Action Center (LAC) of the American Immigration Council is looking for second-year law students to join the LAC staff as legal interns this summer. Interns must be dynamic, self-starters with strong research and writing skills and a commitment to the LAC’s mission.

Intern projects may include: monitoring and analyzing immigration decisions; legal research and memo writing; and drafting practice advisories, pleadings and briefs. The LAC advocates for fundamental fairness in U.S. immigration law. It is staffed by experienced immigration lawyers who play a leading role in immigration litigation across the country.

For more information, see the listing at PSLawNet!

Founded in 1969, Junta for Progressive Action, Inc. (JUNTA) is the oldest Latino, community based non-profit organization in New Haven, Connecticut. Its mission is to provide services, programs and advocacy that improve the social, political and economic conditions of the Latino community in Greater New Haven, while nurturing and promoting its cultural traditions as it builds bridges with other communities.

Junta for Progressive Action, Inc. of New Haven, CT seeks to hire a full-time staff person to direct its Advocacy and Community Organizing Program. The Director will report to the Executive Director and work collaboratively with program staff to develop and carry out Junta’s immigrant rights initiatives. These include: 1) coordinating community responses to current immigration enforcement practices, including the Secure Communities Program; 2) overseeing the Worker’s Center; and 3) designing and carrying out campaigns for community education, organizing, and advocacy about legislative and policy matters that affect immigrants at the local, state, and national level.

To learn more about Junta and this opportunity, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan organization devoted to defending human rights globally, with an expertise in the Americas. Grounding our work in a deep commitment to individual liberty, we aim to raise awareness about both the nature of freedom and the vulnerability of freedom around the world.

This position is a 6-month legal associate position starting June 1st, 2012 for JD/LLM recent graduates.

Responsibilities:

• Research and writing on international human rights law and comparative constitutional law.
• Copyediting and translating legal reports and press releases.
• Managing administrative tasks for the legal department.
• Clerical tasks.

To learn more, see the listing at PSLawNet!

By: Steve Grumm

Happy Friday, dear readers.  Here in DC, presidential politics is all the buzz.  Earlier this week erstwhile Pennsylvania senator and sweater-vest supermodel Rick Santorum achieved impressive primary wins in Alabama and Mississippi.   Years ago a political guru famously quipped that Pennsylvania is Philly and Pittsburgh with a whole lot of Alabama in the middle.  Maybe this explains Mr. Santorum’s ability to connect with Southern voters.  Meanwhile Mitt Romney racks up delegates and the show goes on.

What else have we got?  Here’s an interesting piece of Pew research about how Millennials could be impacted by growing up “wired,” with near-instant access to all kinds of information.  I’m a Gen Xer, so while I’m vaguely inclined to write something about Millennials being impatient, I’m just too apathetic to get into it this morning.  I’d rather listen to some Liz Phair and be sullen.

Here is the week’s news:

• LSC has a new chief lobbyist;
• PBI says low bono ain’t pro bono;
• NYC’s plan for changes in indigent defense case assignment gets a court’s okay, but still controversial w/in the bar;
• An AmeriCorps VISTA writes about his work on Statesidelegal.org, an online resource for vets with legal needs;
• the Maine governor’s budget proposal includes a boost for legal services funding;
• Washington State’s high court will weigh in on indigent defense caseload woes;
• a new chief defender nominated in the Ocean State;
• the growing docket of the “Amvets” legal clinic run out of Chapman Law School;
• federal courts are busier, but also prepping for less funding;
• legal services layoffs in Kentucky;
• also on Cape Cod;
• where does one go for a pair of jeans, lingerie, and a foreclosure defense?;
• the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is staring at a $1.4million budget cut;
• show me a rise in pro se litigation;
• NY State sweetens the CLE pot for pro bono attorneys.

The summaries:

• 3.15.12 – from an LSC press release: “The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announced today the appointment of Carol A. Bergman as Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs.  Beginning on March 19, Ms. Bergman will oversee LSC’s relationships with Congress, the Government Accountability Office and other government agencies.”  During her career Ms. Bergman has logged time on the Hill, in the White House, and in the nonprofit lobbying arena.  I suspect she will call upon all of that experience when the thorny business of FY13 budget wrangling gets underway.

• 3.15.12 – Pro Bono Institute prez Esther Lardent on why so-called “low bono” – or reduced-fee – legal services should not count as pro bono.  Lardent, while lauding the value of low bono as a way to deliver services to those who otherwise could not afford representation, writes: “Although [low bono services] are tools that help broaden access [to the justice system], they are primarily designed to broaden the market for legal services.”

• 3.15.12 – From Thomson Reuters: “New York City’s plan to shift tens of thousands of cases involving indigent defendants from private lawyers to the Legal Aid Society and other legal aid groups can go forward, a divided appeals court ruled Thursday. The disputed plan, which had been stayed pending the appeal, would only affect cases in which the initial legal aid group assigned to a case cannot provide representation due to a conflict. Five city bar associations had argued that the city’s proposal required their consent under the statute that governs the assignment of indigent defense cases, Article 18-B of the County Law. But in a 3-2 decision, the Appellate Division, First Department, said the plan was valid under 18-B and did not “improperly usurp the role of the County Bars.”

• 3.15.12 – writing in the Bangor Daily News, AmeriCorps VISTA member Peter MacArthur explains his work on a legal services project for vets: “I have worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Pine Tree Legal Assistance on its veteran and service member specific website www.statesidelegal.org since November…. With the vital help of many other individuals and organizations, Pine Tree Legal developed the Stateside Legal website as a clearinghouse of information on various legal needs, especially for low-income members of the military, veterans and their families. The website includes both original content on legal problems (such as foreclosure, divorce and service member Civil Relief Act issues) and links to quality legal content on other sites.”

• 3.14.12 – speaking of our country’s ruggedly beautiful northeastern corner, a budget proposal from Maine governor Paul LePage would boost state funding of legal services by $400K.  (Story from the Morning Sentinel.)

• 3.13.12 – in Washington State, the high court will weigh in on whether justice demands the imposition of public defender caseload limits.  Here’s the story from KEPR.

• 3.13.12 – Rhode Island looks to be getting a new chief public defender.  From the Providence Journal: “Governor Chafee on Wednesday named Mary S. McElroy as the state’s new public defender…. McElroy comes to the office from the federal public defender’s office…. McElroy will oversee an office of 93 staff, about 40 of whom are lawyers, that provides legal representation free of cost for Rhode Islanders who cannot afford a lawyer. McElroy’s appointment will need state senate approval.  If confirmed, the governor’s office said, McElroy would be the first woman to hold the position since it was established in 1941.”

• 3.13.12 – the growing docket of the “Amvets” legal clinic run out of Chapman Law School.  The clinic, which began helping vets with problems around housing, benefits, and other economic security needs, is now involved in a case about the employment termination of over 100 Air Force officers in what the clinic argues was a budget-cutting move that will strip the officers of their retirement benefits.  Here’s a press release with more information.  

• 3.13.12 – the federal courts are sorting out how to deal with increased caseloads in a time of budget austerity.  From the National Law Journal:  “The policy-making arm of the federal judiciary on March 13 discussed steps to reduce costs as workload increases and congressional budget cuts loom. The federal judiciary’s budget this year was funded at the same level as last fiscal year even as case filings increased, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said.”

• 3.12.12 – “Legal Aid of the Bluegrass has eliminated nine positions to make up for an unexpected cut in federal funding…. By year’s end, Kentucky’s four independent legal aid societies estimate they will have reduced their combined staffs by 40 positions, or 18.6 percent, since 2010…. Before the most recent cuts, Legal Aid of the Bluegrass was already turning away 7,062 people who requested help and were eligible in terms of income.”  (Story from Cincinnati.com.)

• 3.12.12 – “The same recession that caused many low-income and elderly persons to seek free legal help with their worsening problems is undermining the very agency that is supposed to be there to help them. South Coastal Counties Legal Services Inc., or SCCLS, which once had offices throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, has been forced to lay off 10 attorneys, secretaries and paralegals and close three offices, including the one in New Bedford, Executive Director Richard McMahon told The Standard-Times.”  (Here’s the full Standard-Times story.)

• 3.12.12 – much has been made of the paucity of affordable legal services for those of moderate means.  In response, and in the wake of an unprecedented foreclosure crisis, one Florida attorney provides low- and reduced-fee services from a booth in a shopping mall.  From Huffington Post: “In November, [Melva] Rozier founded a new type of law firm — or rather, a law store — inside the Boynton Beach Mall near West Palm Beach, Fla. The Law Booth counsels walk-in clients on divorce, foreclosure and other legal topics at discounted rates from a kiosk planted between American Eagle Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret shops.”

• 3.11.12 – the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland has fought hard in the recession’s wake to serve increasing numbers of clients, but the inevitable has caught up.  From the Cleveland Plain Dealer: “The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, which until now has weathered the economic downturn by tapping reserves, must cut $1.4 million from its budget in the coming year — at a time when poor clients are in greatest need of legal assistance.”
  • More recently this week a Plain Dealer editorial called on the local community to support the Legal Aid Society: “It falls upon the private sector to step up. Leaders in the local corporate community should consider giving preference to firms whose lawyers volunteer their time and effort to Legal Aid. Voters should contact their congressional representatives to demand restoration of funding for the Legal Services Corp…. The local United Way, which helps to support several Legal Aid programs, also ought to consider increasing its contribution.”

• 3.11.12 – a piece in the Missourian looks at the trend of increased pro se litigation – which has seen litigants initiating their own lawsuits in addition to representing themselves in defensive postures – and the legal industry’s response to it.  The piece highlights the challenges faced by pro se litigants and court systems as they adjust to litigation driven by non-attorneys.

• 3.9.12 – New York State is sweetening the CLE pot for lawyers who do pro bono work.  From the New York Law Journal: “Experienced lawyers now can earn more than 40 percent of the continuing legal education credits they must complete every two years by providing pro bono services to low-income New Yorkers. The four presiding justices of the Appellate Division departments recently voted to increase to 10 from six the credits for uncompensated work in family and other civil courts that lawyers with more than two years of experience can apply to their 24-hour CLE requirement.”

The Prisoners’ Rights Office (PRO) of the Vermont Defender General litigates a wide variety of civil, criminal and administrative cases, working to protect the constitutional rights of prisoners in such areas as unlawful convictions, medical care, and parole violations. The PRO internship offers experience in developing research and writing skills, drafting complaints and motions, making courtroom/parole board presentations, investigating cases, performing client outreach at the prisons, and assisting with legislative advocacy.

Interested? See the full listing at PSLawNet!

The only full-time provider of legal services headquartered on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, Inner City Law Center combats slum housing and develops strategies to end homelessness. ICLC is recognized for its expertise in housing issues, homelessness prevention, and veterans’ benefits. Our staff of 40 provides quality legal representation for people who have nowhere else to turn.  We fight for justice for low-income individuals, working poor families, immigrants, people who are homeless or disabled, and veterans.

The Homeless Veterans Project represent military veterans with disabilities before the Department of Veterans Affairs to help them obtain income support, health care, and other benefits that are rightfully due to them.  In 2009, ICLC recognized a tremendous unmet demand for legal services for the increasing number of female veterans.  To meet this growing need, ICLC launched a female veterans legal program. The program is one of the first of its kind in the country and has been featured on National Public Radio. The Project also specializes in psychological trauma claims, especially Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) arising from combat, or sexual assault.

Clerks within the Project will help conduct intake, manage cases and clients, research applicable laws and regulations, attend hearings and community meetings, and draft persuasive documents to file with the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Each clerk is also expected to write for publication about some aspect of the process or his or her experience.

Interested? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is seeking a law student intern for Summer 2012 to assist the Division of Civil Legal Services. NLADA, founded in 1911, is America’s oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. For 100 years, NLADA has pioneered access to justice at the national, state and local level through the creation of our public defender system, development of nationally applicable standards for legal representation, groundbreaking legal legislation and the creation of important institutions such as the Legal Services Corporation.

The successful candidate will be responsible for assisting the Civil Legal Services Division’s Quality and Program Enhancement initiative and ongoing efforts to identify federal funding opportunities for legal aid.  

View the full job posting for this (unpaid) internship position on PSLawNet (login required).