By: Steve Grumm

The Legal Services Corporation, a quasi-governmental entity which channels federal funding to civil legal services providers throughout the U.S. states and territories and which is the single largest source of funding for legal services for the poor, is facing the potential for sizeable cuts that will force staff cuts and result in fewer clients served.  LSC and its 130+ grantee organizations are sitting squarely, and uncomfortably, between the metaphorical rock and hard place.  At precisely the time when some federal legislators are discussing large-scale cuts to numerous federal programs in the name of fiscal austerity, swollen numbers of poor people and families – the unemployed, children, and victims of domestic violence – are seeking free legal aid to help them out of crisis.  So as Congress is gearing up for debate on a Fiscal Year 2012 funding plan, LSC grantees face the grim prospect of having to do more with considerably less – a minefield they’ve already been traversing because other, non-federal funding sources have depleted in the recession’s wake.

Linda Perle at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has authored a very helpful LSC funding update, offering the particulars about what has happened to LSC funding in recent budget debates and which direction the winds are blowing in as Congressional hearings on LSC’s funding are set to begin in July.  Some noteworthy language from Linda’s piece:

Concern abounds regarding LSC funding for FY 2012, which will begin on Oct. 1, 2011.  FY 2011 funding totals $404.19 million, which represents a $15.81 million cut from LSC’s FY 2010 funding level of $420 million.  The House and Senate adopted this amount after the House passed an FY 2011 Continuing Resolution (CR) that would have  cut $70 million for LSC from its FY 2010 level, and reduced LSC’s funding to FY 2008 levels.  Under the House version of the CR, all of the $70 million cut would have come out of LSC’s basic field grants that support the 136 legal aid programs providing basic legal assistance to low-income people across the country.

LSC has asked Congress to appropriate $516.5 million for FY 2012.  President Obama’s budget request sought $450 million for LSC.  However, during the April 5, 2011, hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) on the FY 2012 LSC budget, there was again discussion of returning LSC funding to the FY 2008 level — all in the name of deficit reduction.  The FY 2012 House budget resolution (the Ryan Bill), which proposes $6 trillion in overall budget cuts over 10 years and an overhaul of entitlement programs, did not include any specific cuts for LSC or other agencies, but also suggested that funding of discretionary programs should be cut to FY 2008 levels. 

Subcommittee mark-up on the House 2012 CJS bill is scheduled for July 7, followed by full committee mark-up on July 13.  We anticipate that the House will cut LSC’s overall FY 2012 budget to its FY 2008 level of $340.49 million.  However, it is not clear whether this budget will follow the FY 2008 allocation among LSC’s programs and divisions, providing approximately $332.4 million for basic field grant funding, or will do as was proposed in House version of the 2011 CR and take all of the cuts out of the funds allocated to basic field grants, leaving only $324.4 million for basic field grant funding.

By Lauren Forbes

Public Law Center seeks an Equal Justice Works Americorps Legal Fellow for its consumer law issues.

• Provide direct legal services to low income clients on a variety of consumer law matters, including housing foreclosure and bankruptcy
• Organize and coordinate community legal clinics where client intake interviews will be conducted
• Assist in staffing courthouse based bankruptcy clinic to assist unrepresented Chapter 7 debtors
• Oversee case referrals to pro bono attorneys and provide support to those volunteers as needed
• Work with Pro Bono Director to facilitate and expand law student involvement in pro bono
• Conduct community education presentations to clients and service providers
• Represent PLC at legal networking and community outreach events

Qualifications

• Admission to California Bar or awaiting Bar exam results
• Excellent computer and oral/written communication skills
• Interest in problems of low-income communities
• Commitment to working with volunteer lawyers and law students
• Ability to manage multiple tasks
• Relevant Law School course work in subjects relevant to consumer law and/or clinical work or pro bono work on consumer or bankruptcy cases a strong plus
• Bilingual English/Spanish or English/Vietnamese a strong plus
• Must have own transportation, valid California Driver’s license, and good driving record
• Occasional evening and weekend work required

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).

By Lauren Forbes

Amnesty International–International Secretariat seeks a Policy Adviser for its London office.

As Policy Adviser you will work closely with country and thematic researchers, advocates and campaigners in the International Secretariat and sections and structures on the application and development of AI’s human rights policies with regard to research projects, advocacy initiatives, and campaigns. You will be expected to develop specific areas of expertise within the programme. You will also work with senior legal and policy advisers and assistant advisers to ensure effective, coherent and timely approvals and consultations.

JOB PURPOSE: To provide advice regarding AI’s policy position on a specified area of Human Rights, and to draft policy documents recommending a position for the organization on new or emerging human rights issues – supporting the Senior Policy Advisers in translating legal analysis into actions for the Movement

Duties:

• To support Senior Policy Advisers in the development of proposed policy positions, and the application of AI’s legal analysis to human rights situations, drafting policy proposals that will translate analysis into action that will develop and implement AI’s strategic goals and global campaigns, drawing on international law, AI precedent, and best practice of other agencies.
• Provide advice on the application of AI’s policy to country and thematic specialists and others at the IS and the wider Movement, in order to contribute to the consistent, accurate, timely and impartial documentation and presentation of Amnesty International’s concerns.
• Approve and write materials for external and internal publication related to existing and emerging human rights issues and other themes related to AI’s concerns (including external documents, briefing and discussion papers, AI policy guidelines) and assisting in the preparation/writing of country/thematic reports as required to contribute to ensure policy is consistently applied and published – referring to Senior Policy Advisers for more detailed expertise where appropriate.
• Contribute to the maintenance and availability of comprehensive reference materials relating to the development and application of AI’s policies in order to facilitate its consistent and innovative application.
• Represent AI for a related to areas of expertise (as requested) to raise public awareness of AI and its concerns, and position AI at the forefront of the human rights movement.
• Manage small project teams on specific areas, and participate in crisis response and other project teams as appropriate.
• Support the management of the Law and Policy Programme within agreed areas of responsibility and contribute to the overall smooth running of the programme.

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).

By Lauren Forbes

Each year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) selects a small number of graduating law students or judicial law clerks to serve in the OGC Honor Law Graduate Program (HLGP).  Established in 1972, the HLGP is the primary mechanism for hiring entry-level attorneys at the NRC.

As an Honor Law Graduate, you will serve in a two-year program consisting of rotational assignments through different OGC divisions in order to gain broad exposure to the diverse legal practice at the NRC.

The program allows you to collaborate with seasoned attorneys and work independently on a variety of assignments, such as the following:

• participating in administrative litigation involving nuclear power plants
• reviewing environmental impact statements with technical staff
• drafting proposed regulations for new or revised safety standards
• assisting in the review and litigation of personnel actions, equal employment opportunity cases, and Government contract matters
• working with the Solicitor in researching and preparing briefs for submission to the Federal courts of appeals

In order to qualify for the Honor Law Graduate Program, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Be ONE of the following:
  • a third-year law student (3L) who will earn a J.D. degree no later than June of the academic year of application;
  • a graduate law student who will earn an LL.M. degree no later than June of the academic year of application with no significant post-J.D. employment preceding graduate study; or
  • >a judicial law clerk with no other significant employment preceding graduate study who will be prepared for duty no later than the end of September of the year following application.
• Be in the upper third (33%) of your law school class.  (This criterion may be waived if you have unusual compensating qualifications, such as other academic degrees or pertinent work experience.)
• Have an interest in administrative law, legislative law, statutory interpretation, environmental law, energy law, public interest law, and/or trial advocacy.
• Have excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Have a demonstrated interest in public service.

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).

By Lauren Forbes

D.C.’s Office of Disability Rights seeks a Special Projects Coordinator.  The incumbent conducts surveys, audits and reviews of all agencies throughout the District of Columbia to assure agency compliance with disability civil rights laws. Provides technical assistance to agencies regarding the interpretation and implementation of disability civil rights legislation. Conducts research on best practices, policy issues, and resources to guide the development and implementation of major projects. Conducts research and fact-finding investigations. Prepares comprehensive reports on the analyses, and recommend options based on these analyses. Establishes priorities and follows through on major projects to ensure that sufficient staff preparation is completed before matters are referred to the Director and implements control to assure that deadlines are met. Independently, plans and conducts in-depth studies.

Identifies problems concerning legal issues, and provides reliable solutions, after evaluating the impact of the alternatives. Develops enforcement strategies, model investigative, review plans, or significant investigative procedure; implements new laws or regulations; and/ or addresses areas where existing guidelines have been ineffective. Develops authoritative interpretation of regulations and program policies when accepted methods or provisions are questioned, challenged, or inadequate, and important issues must be resolved. Analyzes and audit operational problems identified through reports, quality reviews, assessments, and various complaints from groups or individuals to determine causes, and develops solutions. Participates in the development of procedures for evaluating work products and services rendered by the agency. Reviews internal control systems for compliance with established procedures and standards. Participates in the development of the goals and objectives to implement agency strategies.

Analyzes pertinent legislative proposals and enactments, and makes appropriate reporting recommendations to the Director. Develops and implements rules, policies, guidelines and procedures to ensure consistent and timely compliance reviews. Investigates complaints, plans, develops, and conducts program analyses of substantial scale and impact concerning legal aspects of the District’s Disability Civil Rights Compliance Program for actual or potential effectiveness in achieving planned goals and objectives.

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).

By: Steve Grumm

The Boston Globe has a nice exit interview of sorts with Bob Sable, the executive director of Greater Boston Legal Services, who’s retiring after decades of service, helping those on society’s margins find meaningful access to justice.  Some notable, and candid, quotes:

Q. What inspired you to go into legal aid?

A. This was the time of the War on Poverty, and what inspired me was the notion that lawyers could do for the poor what they had always done for the well-to-do. The guiding light of my career has been to use the law and legal tools to help people get out of poverty.

Q. What progress have you seen over 20 years, or has there been regression?

A. That’s a very tough question. The notion that government could deal arbitrarily with poor people was in retreat, but now we’ve seen a lot of setbacks. If you look at the ultimate question — Is the poverty rate lower now than it was? — the changes have been very marginal.

…

Q. You obviously don’t get rich at a job like this.

A. Our starting salaries are in the mid-40s, and associates in big law firms are earning $160,000. So there’s a huge gap. And on top of that the student loan burden is so great. I have a lot of admiration for young lawyers who are sticking with it.

By Lauren Forbes

US ARMY AVIATION AND MISSILE COMMAND LEGAL OFFICE, GENERAL LAW DIVISION REDSTONE ARSENAL 35898

Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are not readily available in the military, but crucial to support military operations. The Army integrates the talents and skills of its military and civilian members to form a Total Army.

The AMCOM Legal Office provides comprehensive legal advice and support to assure the accomplishment of the Army’s aviation and missile systems’ acquisition mission and to the Redstone Arsenal Garrison.

This announcement requires completion of a questionnaire which will be sent to you after your application package is received. As the questionnaire is part of a complete application package, failure to complete it may result in non-consideration for this position.

Duties:

By: Steve Grumm

Happy Friday, dear readers!  To begin with shameless self-promotion: if you’re inclined to use the Twitters, please follow us at @PSLawNet.  We tweet all of our blog posts along with pieces of timely public interest career and funding news.  And we don’t tweet immodest photos of ourselves.

Also, I apologize for publishing the Bulletin a few minutes late this morning.  The Philadelphia Phillies kept me up until 12:30am last night, only to fall apart on defense, surrendering to the lowly Cubs of Chicago in extra innings.  And now I’ll have to hear about it from the Chicago Bar Foundation folks, which is even worse.

This week we present a Bulletin rich with funding news, although certainly not all of this news speaks to the riches of public interest funding: good news for Lone Star State legal services and indigent defense advocates; but in the Bay State, elected officials may still need some prodding; Have Justice Will Travel urgently needs money to keep moving; in Jacksonville, FL, the city council may boost legal services funding in the wake of state gov’t. stinginess; Legal Services of New Jersey sure could use a funding boost, too; the DOJ’s AtJ program has a new chief; and speaking of DOJ, some advice on becoming an AUSA.

• 6.9.11 – some terrific news out of Texas.  After a legislative roller coaster ride, the state house and senate are in agreement on funding both civil legal services and indigent defense.   From the Tex Parte blog: “Representatives approved an amendment on a general appropriations bill that would add $17.6 million over the biennium for indigent civil legal aid, as well as $7.6 million for indigent criminal defense.”  There had been some back-and-forth on the senate side, too, but that chamber ultimately came through with funding.  “[Now], the House and Senate versions include the same language about indigent legal aid funding. If the bill moves to conference committee, lawmakers would only focus on smoothing out differences.”

• 6.7.11 – in the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, Massachusetts, corporate counsel heavy-hitter and Greater Boston Legal Services board member Thomas Gunning pens an op-ed highlighting the importance of adequately funding civil legal services.   After noting some of GBLS’s most important, recent work in helping low-income clients, Gunning looks at the precarious state of funding:  “The need for services is way up in our tough economy and funding is way down.  While private lawyers give millions in support each year, a large portion of budgets come from state funding and interest earned on money held in short-term escrow accounts… For fiscal year 2010, the state cut the legal aid budget by $1.5 million from $11 million to $9.5 million.  At the same time, [IOLTA funding is down].  So with need at record levels, legal aid organizations have been forced to lay off lawyers and staff. They must turn away many more eligible clients than they can represent resulting in denied justice and avoidable social service costs…. After the painful 2010 cuts, the governor and Legislature ‘level funded’ legal aid in 2011 at the reduced amount. The governor’s fiscal year 2012 submitted budget also proposes level funding and the Legislature has shown signs of doing the same. We should certainly hope the final 2012 state budget level funds legal aid so that those in need have access to justice, and we can protect our social service spending from avoidable additional costs.”

• 6.7.11 – a piece in Vermont’s Bennington Banner looks at the work, and financial woes, of Have Justice Will Travel, a thinly staffed organization that provides legal services to domestic violence victims.  Times are very tough indeed on the finance front.  A reduction in a DOJ grant forced the closure of an office, and this summer most of HJWT’s staff are being asked to take a (hopefully) temporary layoff.  The organization is presently scrambling to cobble together more grant funding.

• 6.7.11 – the Daily Record reports that some of the funding cuts that Jacksonville Area Legal Aid will suffer as a result of the Florida governor’s civil legal services funding veto may be offset by Jacksonville City Council: “City Council member Kevin Hyde introduced bill 2010-766 to establish a $40 court fee on felonies, misdemeanors and criminal traffic infractions to provide assistance for foreclosure programs for the disadvantaged through JALA.  An amendment to the original ordinance requested the fee be increased to $50 because of recent budget cuts for JALA at the state level.”

• 6.7.11 – a piece on MyCentralJersey.com looks closely at the dire funding situation of Legal Services of New Jersey: “[LSNJ President Melville D. Miller, Jr.] said that during the past three years, Legal Services of New Jersey has lost a third of its staff and a third of its funding — going from $72 million to $46 million in operating revenue as its staff fell from 720 to 490 attorneys with another 75 advocate set to be lost this year.  Meanwhile, Miller said, poverty in New Jersey has spiked by 8.4 percent over the last year.”  The article also looks at the efforts of Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes, III and other to restore some state funding, and to shore it up in both the shorter and longer term.

• 6.2.11 – there’s a new sheriff in town at the DOJ’s access to justice office.  Main Justice reports: “About six months after the departure of Laurence Tribe as Senior Counselor of the Justice Department Access to Justice Initiative, his successor is in place.  Mark Childress on Thursday was sworn in as the leader of the program that focuses on access to legal services for the poor.  He most recently was the acting General Counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services.”  Childress has a fairly varied resume, including a stint as a partner at Foley Hoag, some high-level staff work in the White House and on the Hill, and even some work with an aboriginal business development entity in Australia.

• June, 2011 – a former Assistant U.S. Attorney contributes a piece to this month’s edition of the ABA’s Young Lawyer, explaining how one may land one of these coveted, federal positions: “Assistant U.S. Attorneys…are experienced trial attorneys who come from a variety of backgrounds, including both the public and private sectors, as well as the military. Generally, the attorneys have five to seven years of litigation experience before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office. While many aspects of a particular applicant are considered, trial experience is the most significant requirement. A strong working knowledge of the Federal Rules of Evidence and Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure is important.”

Staff Attorney for Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center.  Law degree from accredited school of law, admission to Mississippi State Bar or eligible for admission. Experience in housing and/or civil rights. Salary commensurate with experience.  Log on to www.makeitfair.com for more info.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform and/or manage functions related to the provision of client services: intake; investigation; counseling; conciliation; referral to attorney or enforcement agency; follow-up after referral;
• Maintains full and accurate case files for legal proceedings and help maintain database for grant reporting;
• Develop and implement the Fair Housing Center of the Gulf Coast’s intake and testing goals and plans;
• Represent Fair Housing Center of the Gulf Coast at fair housing meetings;
• Track and support relevant legislation and laws;
• Analyze and evaluate complaints in reference to state and federal statutes and case law;
• Keep staff abreast of changes to fair housing laws;
• Provide training to staff to ensure maximum efficiency and accuracy of work; Cross-training opportunities within the department or agency are exercised to promote teamwork and provide necessary back-up for each position;
• Develop and maintain networking relationships within the community;
• Safeguard clients’ security and confidentiality;
• Work as a team and support the mission and goals of the agency and programs;
• Provide accurate and complete information for grant reporting and management;
• Coordinate substantive fair housing audits and studies;
• Recruit and mange the cooperating attorney panel; and
• Other duties as assigned.

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).

By Lauren Forbes

Happy Thursday! It is time for the weekly roundup of some of our favorite posts from the public interest blogosphere. With no further ado…

• 6.9.11 SCOTUS to Rule on Right to Counsel in Collateral Proceedings. Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog includes a piece on the Supreme Court agreeing to hear a case that will test how firm the distinction between  a right to counsel at the first level of direct appeal and the right to counsel at collateral post-conviction proceedings.
  
• 6.8.11 The Povery Law Blog discusses Yonatan Ben-Shalom, Robert A. Moffitt, and John Karl Scholz’s NBER Working Paper, An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Anti-Poverty Programs in the United States.  In  which direction does the  U.S. benefit system tilt?
  
• 6.6.11 DC budget and safety net programs cut, but not eliminated. Some of the hardest-hit social safety net programs, TANF,  homeless services, and Interim Disability Assistance (IDA) were restored or preserved.
• 6.6.11 Heather Jarvis tells us five ways IBR beats ICR.  Important bottom line: monthly payments are typically higher under income-contingent repayment than under income-based repayment.
• 6.6.11 Technola’s timely post about igniting your community referenced  last week’s Legal Services NTAP (National Technology Assistance Project) post.  Ideas include TED, CommonCraft, and others.
• 6.3.11 Partnering to aid our nation’s veterans, a piece in the Equal Justice Works Blog. Public Counsel has partnered with the Southern California Salvation Army to help provide legal services to hundreds of homeless veterans and their families in the Los Angeles area. The blog also highlight’s The Salvation Army‘s piece on how legal help is often the missing piece in a veteran’s recovery.