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

Happy Friday!  Postgraduate fellowship and government program deadlines are fast approaching.  The 2016 Comprehensive Fellowship Guide and Federal Legal Employment Guide are now live and available on PSJD to assist you in researching and applying to these programs.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Pro bono requirement for bar licensure in California passes state Assembly;
• ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services releases final report;
• Lawyer reflection on clemency work after executive action;
• Push for Maine to cover indigent defense costs on appeal;
• Legal Service Board Chair remarks to ABA – public at large needs to be concerned about justice gap;
• New York State awards funds for disability assistance legal services;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

August 5, 2016 – “Before a law student can become a lawyer in California, he or she must make it through the toughest bar exam in the nation. A new bill written by Sen. Marty Block would require would-be lawyers to do something else too before they can be admitted to the State Bar: complete 50 hours of pro bono legal work. It’s an idea New York has already implemented, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has said all states should be doing. Block’s bill passed the Assembly this week and is headed back to the state Senate for a final sign-off.” (Voice of San Diego)

August 6, 2016 – “As expected, the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services delivered plenty of recommendations for how the bar can close the access to justice gap in America, while steering clear of the most contentious issue: whether alternative business structures—most notably nonlawyer ownership of law firms—should be permissible. After two years of work, the commission released its final report (PDF) on Saturday during the 2016 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The underlying message of the report, said ABA President Paulette Brown, is that ‘The future is not going to wait for us. We have got to go with it. We have to not let the future get away from us.’ Citing statistics showing that in some jurisdictions, over 80 percent of the civil legal needs of lower-to-middle income individuals went unmet, the commission called on the legal profession to support the idea that all people should have some form of legal assistance for their civil legal needs. To that end, the commission found that the legal profession ‘should support the aspirational goal of 100 percent access to effective assistance for essential civil legal needs.'”  In order to meet that standard, the Commission  made several recommendations:

• courts should be open to innovations in the delivery of legal services and were called upon to adopt the ABA Model Regulatory Objectives for the Provision of Legal Services (PDF);
• the ABA open a Center for Innovation that would amount to a research and development division for the legal industry;
• all members of the legal profession should keep abreast of relevant technologies; and
• the legal profession should partner with other industries to design, develop and create new delivery models and technological tools.

“The wide-ranging report also called for criminal justice reform; increased diversity within the legal profession; regular preventive legal checkups for individuals; and utilization of statistics and metrics to determine how effective the intended reforms really are.” You can read the details here. (ABA Journal)

August 9, 2016 – The National Law Journal has an excellent reflection from lawyers working with the Clemency Project 2014.  The Project is a “working group of lawyers who review clemency petitions. Through the project, inmates who qualify for clemency under the guidelines are assigned a lawyer, who works the case pro bono. The project seeks inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes, such as drug offenses, with good prison records, no gang affiliations, who have already served more than 10 years in prison, and who, if sentenced today, would likely have received less time. When the project first launched in January 2014, 37,000 interested inmates were surveyed to evaluate their potential eligibility for clemency.” (National Law Journal)(subscription required)

August 9, 2016 – “A criminal defendant in Maine stripped of his right to an attorney at his trial after threatening his sixth lawyer is at the center of a push to have the state cover the costs for indigents to petition the U.S. Supreme Court. Joshua Nisbet of Scarborough handled his own defense in 2014 with two standby attorneys after threatening a string of defense lawyers; he was convicted in the robbery case and sentenced to seven years in prison. Since then, attorney Jamesa Drake of Auburn has taken up his petition to the Supreme Court on a pro bono basis. The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services has declined Drake’s request for the state to pay the petition costs. Maine is the only state in the nation that lacks an intermediate appellate court and also refuses to pay the costs for indigent defendants to petition the country’s highest court, the Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said in arguing for the state to cover the costs. The group says the law doesn’t prohibit such assistance. Drake also has told the commission that Supreme Court justices have never endorsed the theory that a defendant can forfeit his right to counsel.” “Commission members said Tuesday they may ask a legislative committee for explicit authority to cover the petition costs.” (Portland Press Herald)

August 9, 2016 – “The Legal Services Corp. is expanding its efforts to provide innovative technology to close the justice gap and trying to raise public awareness of the legal aid crisis, said John G. Levi, the board chair of the publicly funded nonprofit, to the ABA House of Delegates at the association’s annual meeting in San Francisco. As for expanding the use of innovative technology, among many existing, new and proposed uses of technology to increase availability of legal services, Levi said the LSC has partnered with Microsoft Corp, which has committed $1 million to develop statewide legal portals to direct those with legal needs to where they can get assistance. Levi spoke at length about the need for more funding and increasing the availability of legal services, and the need to get that message to the public. ‘We can no longer leave this issue just to the lawyers,’ Levi said. To raise public awareness of the legal aid crisis and resulting justice gap, the LSC formed the Leaders Council to connect with the public , with high-profile, influential people from various walks of life. Among them are the legendary baseball player Hank Aaron; author John Grisham; University of Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh; former commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig; and well as former U.S. attorneys general Eric Holder and Dick Thornburgh, and former ABA presidents Paulette Brown, William Hubbard and Bill Neukom, among others.” “In a 2005 study and a follow up in 2009, the LSC found that most civil legal needs of low-income people went unmet. Levi said that a new report will be issued early next year and that, he’s confident it ‘will reveal a continuing, alarming justice gap.'” (ABA Journal)

August 10, 2016 – “The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance announced Wednesday that it has allocated $8.2 million to provide legal assistance for those who have been denied federal disability benefits. The funding will be divided up among 11 organizations that provide legal services for lost benefits including Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance. Providing more funding ensures that these nonprofit organizations can provide adequate legal assistance for those seeking appeals.” (Watertown Daily Times)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

This Day in History: On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act. Press photographers snapped pictures as FDR, flanked by ranking members of Congress, signed into law the historic act, which guaranteed an income for the unemployed and retirees. FDR commended Congress for what he considered to be a “patriotic” act. Although it was initially created to combat unemployment, Social Security now functions primarily as a safety net for retirees and the disabled, and provides death benefits to taxpayer dependents. The Social Security system has remained relatively unchanged since 1935. (History.com)

Music Bonus!

https://youtu.be/1Ptq48AJHCc

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

Happy Friday!  Can you believe it’s August already?  For many, including us, the summer is over.  This week we bid a sad goodbye to our 2016 Publications Coordinator Mary Boothe.  She was a wonderful addition to our team, and her hard work and diligence made the 2016 Comprehensive Fellowship Guide and Federal Legal Employment Guide possible.  A big thank you to Mary!!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• New public interest law office opens in British Columbia;
• Legal Services of Eastern Missouri receives $300,000 grant to help kids;
• Morgan & Morgan announces new public interest scholarship;
• Jenner & Block and the University of Chicago Law School open Supreme Court clinic;
• John Marshall Law School’s Pro Bono Clinic receives $100,000 gift;
• Missouri Public Defender assigns case to Governor;
• Idaho counties apply for state money for indigent defense;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

July 28, 2016 – “There just aren’t enough lawyers in B.C. to fight all the environmental battles First Nations, individuals and groups face on a regular basis in the province, according to University of Victoria lawyer Chris Tollefson. As a solution, Tollefson, the founder of the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre, and a handful of legal experts and litigators recently launched a new public interest environmental law outfit that will take on some of the most powerful forces in B.C., from Malaysian-owned Petronas to government ministries to BC Hydro.The new legal non-profit, the Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation (CELL), will focus on environmental litigation, legislative reform and, as Tollefson describes it, ‘training up the next generation of young public interest environmental lawyers.'” (Desmog Canada)

August 1, 2016 – “Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM) will continue its program, ‘Connecting Kids to Coverage,’ after receiving a two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2013, LSEM became the only individual legal services organization nationwide to receive this grant funding and in this recent 2016 round, LSEM is one of three legal aid programs nationwide to receive funding. Connecting Kids to Coverage is designed to build on historic progress already made increasing the number of children who have health coverage. A National Health Interview Survey shows only 4.5 percent of children remain uninsured in 2015.” (Hannibal Courier-Post)

August 2, 2016 – “National plaintiffs-only law firm Morgan & Morgan has announced that a new scholarship is available to first year law students who have worked to better their communities. The firm is offering a $2,000 award to be put towards tuition or other education expenses. Scholarship applicants will be evaluated on the quality of their answers and demonstrated commitment to community service. The essay questions ask applicants to describe their involvement in the community and how being involved has shaped their character and who they want to be as an attorney. Applicants must be currently accepted or enrolled in their first year of an accredited law school in order to be eligible. The deadline for applications is December 1, 2016. The winner will be announced on December 31, 2016. Full details are available on the firm’s website.” (PRWeb)

August 2, 2016 – “Jenner & Block and the University of Chicago Law School are pleased to announce the opening of the Jenner & Block University of Chicago Law School Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic, a rigorous education and training program for University of Chicago law students to help litigate cases before the United States’ highest court. The Clinic represents parties and amici curiae in cases before the US Supreme Court and other appellate courts. Students participate in the researching and drafting of merits briefs, amicus briefs, and cert petitions, conduct research on cases that may be suitable to bring to the Court, and help prepare and participate in oral arguments.  Assistance is provided pro bono.  Although the Clinic’s focus is the US Supreme Court, the Clinic may also handle cases at the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Illinois Supreme Court.”  (PRNewswire)

August 2, 2016 – “John Marshall Law School alumnus Antonio Romanucci has given $100,000 to the law school’s Pro Bono Program & Clinic. This first-of-its-kind gift will help fund the clinic for the next two years, John Marshall Dean John E. Corkery announced today. Romanucci, a leading Chicago plaintiff’s attorney, hopes his gift will make the Clinic’s work more impactful. ‘I would like to see the Clinic not only help the individual client, but also help insure the right policies are put in place moving forward so society is affected positively by the work we do,’ said Romanucci, a 1985 graduate of the law school. ‘This gift will help fund our clinic and help provide real life, practical experience for our students to help them become more practice ready,’ Dean Corkery said in thanking Romanucci for his generosity.” (GlobeNewswire)

August 3, 2016 – “Fed up with what he says is the governor’s failure to properly fund his overwhelmed office, the state’s lead public defender ordered Gov. Jay Nixon this week to represent a poor person in Cole County this month. Michael Barrett said he was using a provision of state law that allows him in extraordinary circumstances to delegate legal representation ‘to any member of the state bar of Missouri.’ He’s starting with the state’s highest-profile lawyer: Nixon.” “Barrett never exercised this power before because he thought it was wrong to place the burden of public cases on private attorneys ‘who have in no way contributed to the current crisis,’ he wrote in a letter to the governor dated Tuesday.” “Just this June, the legislature granted the public defender system a $4.5 million increase, which would’ve helped in hiring 10 more employees and some private attorneys on a contractual basis.” “Last month, Barrett and the Missouri State Public Defender Commission filed a lawsuit claiming that Nixon withheld $3.5 million of that $4.5 million increase. Barrett claims Nixon is targeting the public defender system for budget cuts while leaving more money for other programs he likes.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

August 4, 2016 – “All but one county in Idaho has applied for additional state money to help pay public defenders. The Idaho Public Defense Commission on Tuesday met to discuss how to split the $5.4 million in new funding made available by the Legislature for public defenders. Previously public defense offices have only been funded by county commissions.” “Idaho lawmakers designated the funds earlier this year to improve how the state provides legal representation to those who can’t afford their own attorney.” (The Washington Times)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

A longtime advocate for the disadvantaged, Robert Spangenberg led a study showing that Boston’s poorest residents don’t get the legal help they need, even when it’s available for free. Fewer than half who qualified knew legal help was available to them at no cost. And the number of those who miss out skyrocketed among the homebound elderly and residents who didn’t speak English fluently. Those findings might sound like they’re from a current news report, but Mr. Spangenberg conducted this particular study in 1976, fresh off his stint launching and establishing the Boston Legal Assistance Project.

“Many poor people are unaware of their legal rights. Even when poor people are aware of their legal rights, they are often reluctant to enforce them because they fear retaliation,” he told the Globe that December, adding that among the most vulnerable there is “a distrust of the legal system and a pervasive feeling that all efforts will be futile.” As a lawyer, consultant, and leader in the field of providing legal assistance to the indigent, Mr. Spangenberg helped design and launch programs across the country, and his studies shaped the debate from state courts and legislatures to the US Supreme Court. “I think he can truly be called the father of the modern indigent defense reform movement,” said Steve Hanlon, general counsel for the National Association for Public Defense. Mr. Spangenberg, who was diagnosed more than three years ago with Alzheimer’s disease, died June 22 in hospice care at Newton-Wellesley Hospital from an infection that was a complication of the illness. He was 83 and had lived in Brookline after many years in Newton. Read more about his amazing contributions here – Boston Globe.

Music Bonus!  Music pick from the 2016 Publications Coordinator, Mary Boothe.

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

Happy Friday!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Massachusetts Governor signs bill to pay indigent defense lawyers for FY16 bills;
• Free expungement clinic part of Delaware’s efforts to reform juvenile justice system;
• Shake legal app goes nationwide;
• US firms lead in UK pro bono;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

July 22, 2016 – “Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday signed a supplemental budget with money for private attorneys who represent indigent clients in criminal and some civil litigation, including guardianships, classifications by the Sex Offender Registry, and children in need of services in juvenile courts. The attorneys have gone without pay for several weeks while a supplemental budget for Committee for Public Counsel Services to cover expenses from the last fiscal year made its way through Beacon Hill lawmakers and onto Baker’s desk, attorneys said. The CPCS is the state public defender agency and has a cluster of full-time staff attorneys sprinkled across the state, but it relies more heavily on some 3,000 private lawyers who agree to be paid fees that are generally less than what they would charge for private clients.” (Boston Globe)

July 22, 2016 – “Lawyers were at Delaware Law School Friday offering pro bono legal aid to minors – and those who have records from when they were a minor – seeking expungements.” “The clinic was made possible through a $150,000 planning grant awarded from the federal government. Delaware was one of four states selected for the grant. The Delaware Center for Justice also partnered with the Office of Defense Services to provide additional funding for the expungement fees. The state’s Criminal Justice Council applied for the grant, and Lisa Minutola, Chief of Legal Services at the Office of Defense Services, is helping chair the grant committee. The committee is looking into other reforms for the juveniles involved in the criminal justice system. ‘Everything from making sure juveniles have attorneys, to making sure those attorneys are qualified, to looking at ways to keep juveniles out of the system, and if they’re in the system looking at ways to make sure their experience is as successful as possible,’ Minutola said.” (Delaware Public Media)

July 26, 2016 – “Starting this month, millions of Americans will now have the ability to create, sign and send more than 300 free legal documents by completing a few questions on their phone through the new Shake by LegalShield app. Shake is the only mobile app of its kind available in the marketplace today. Shake—an award-winning startup that changed the landscape of the legal field by providing easy to understand, free legal forms to everyday Americans—significantly expanded their initial offerings after joining LegalShield, one of the leading providers of pre-paid legal services. Shake offers instant access to a wide variety of free legal forms used in day-to-day activities, without the burdensome cost of legal fees. The documents include loan agreements, advanced care directives, non-disclosure agreements, name change documents, power of attorney forms, roommate agreements, lease agreements, skilled labor contracts, contract work agreements and much more. Shake also provides new state-specific versions of many forms—such as leases and bills of sale—that can vary distinctly from state-to-state, doing the legwork for users so they don’t have to worry about tailoring a form on their own.” (PRNewswire)

July 27, 2016 – “Lawyers at US firm Seyfarth Shaw averaged the highest number of pro bono hours in the UK last year, a new survey has revealed. According to the Trustlaw Index of Pro Bono fee-earners at the firm, which has 11 lawyers in London, chalked up more than 61 hours each on average, with 40 per cent of them doing at least 10 hours. The firm that occupied top spot in the 2015 Index, Arnold & Porter, performed strongly again, with every single one of its London fee-earners contributing at least ten hours of pro bono last year. Overall, participation in the survey among law firms with offices in England & Wales increased, from 26 to 37. However, once again the vast majority of those were US-founded. American firms made up the top six spots on the list. The best-performing British-founded firm that made its details public was Linklaters, whose lawyers averaged 46 hours of pro bono last year.”   (Lawyer 2B)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

The National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”) is pleased to announce the 2016 award recipients. These awardees are leaders of their industry who have dedicated themselves to strengthening the legal profession by working toward parity for women and minority lawyers.

The 2016 awards to be presented are:

	Arabella Babb Mansfield Award in recognition of professional achievement, positive influence, and valuable contribution to women in the law and in society. – to Vanita Gupta, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Head of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
	President’s Award for the advancement and retention of women attorneys by an organization – to Facebook, Inc., for the company’s implementation of creative, impactful ways to support and advance diversity, including the comprehensive Managing Unconscious Bias training, annual salary reviews to ensure fair salaries, and the diverse slate approach to encourage recruiters to look longer, harder, and smarter for more diversity in the talent pool.
	Lead by Example Award for a leading male attorney in a law firm, company, government unit or public interest entity who supports the advancement of women within his organization – to Alan Bryan, Senior Associate General Counsel, Legal Operations & Outside Counsel Management, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
	M. Ashley Dickerson Diversity Award in recognition of lawyers who promote diversity – to Sheri Lynn Johnson, Associate Dean for Public Engagement and the James and Mark Flanagan Professor of Law, Cornell Law School.
Virginia S. Mueller Outstanding Member Award recognizing leading NAWL members for their exemplary work and contributions to NAWL – to

Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

https://youtu.be/BftTFewUvMk

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

Happy Friday!  Mandatory pro bono service in Indiana starts in October and more funding news.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• $2.4 million in Georgia state grants will provide legal aid to domestic violence victims;
• The John Marshall Law School launches gender marker program;
• Southern District of Indiana mandatory pro bono service to start in October;
• Social entrepreneurship, public service and student debt;
• United Way grants $25,000 to Iowa Legal Aid;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

July 13, 2016 – “The Judicial Council of Georgia has awarded about $2.43 million in grants to eight Georgia nonprofits to provide civil legal services to domestic violence victims. The Georgia Legal Services Program received the largest grant, for $1.57 million, followed by the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, with $676,500.” “The bulk of the funding is used for lawyers to represent domestic violence victims in judicial hearings for 12-month temporary protective orders from their abusers, said Zan Patorgis, legal compliance officer for the state Administrative Office of the Courts, which administers the grants. Victims do not need a lawyer to get an initial one-month protective order, he added, so the funds can’t be used for that.” “The grant money, which comes from the state legislature, is distributed in proportion with the state’s population of poor people. Georgia Legal Services, which has an annual budget of $14 million, serves the 154 counties outside the five-county metro Atlanta area, which are mostly rural and poor. The group’s 50 lawyers, who operate out of 10 offices around the state, are spread so thinly that they are poverty law generalists, handling matters for domestic violence victims as part of their caseloads, said Vicky Kimbrell, who directs Georgia Legal Services’ family violence project. A special-needs portion of the grant funds an extra lawyer in the group’s Macon and Albany offices, she added, ‘because the need is so high and there are no resources down there.'” (Law.com)

July 18, 2016 – “The Pro Bono Clinic at The John Marshall Law School has launched a new program to help transgender individuals navigate the legal hurdles that come with changing one’s name and gender. The Name and Gender Marker Change Project aims to help transgender individuals reach an essential step in claiming their identity — to ensure their official documents match their declared identities. Under the auspices of the program, law students will assist individuals by filling out the forms needed to change these documents, getting fees waived if necessary and even going to court with them, said Kelly A. Burden, an adjunct professor who will oversee the project.” (Chicago Daily Law Bulletin)

July 18, 2016 – “Attorneys could be tapped to handle cases under the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana’s new mandatory pro bono rule before the end of this year. The District Court has adopted Local Rule 87, which is designed to bolster the number of lawyers available to represent pro se litigants at no charge. Two pools of attorneys will be created — the volunteer panel will consist of lawyers who offer their services to the court, and the obligatory panel will be filled with lawyers who are required to provide representation. Unrepresented litigants who have shown the court they cannot afford legal assistance and whose cases have cleared substantial hurdles, like surviving summary judgment, will be provided pro bono attorneys. If none of the volunteer attorneys take the case, the court will pull a lawyer from the obligatory pool. Attorneys who have appeared before the court at least 10 times in civil cases during 2015 will be placed in the obligatory panel and assigned cases. The calculation is based on the number of court appearances filed, not on the length of time representing a particular client. If a lawyer files an appearance in 2015 and the case continues through 2016 and into 2017, the court will only count that as one appearance. The new rule will take effect Sept. 1, 2016, but the first obligatory panel will not become active until Oct. 1. Lawyers chosen to be in the first round will be notified of their selection about a month in advance.” (The Indiana Lawyer)

July 18, 2016 – Ashley Matthews, Program Manager for Law School Engagement & Advocacy for Equal Justice Works has a great article on the impact of student debt on social entrepreneurship, and provides concrete guidance for those who want to follow that path.  (The Huffington Post)

July 20, 2016 – “The United Way of Siouxland has donated grants totaling $100,000 to three nonprofit organizations as part of its new Funding Opportunity to Connect and Uplift Siouxland (FOCUS) initiative. The program’s purpose is to offer one-time grants, between $20,000 and $50,000, to eligible nonprofit organizations in Siouxland to provide support for their programs and initiatives.” “Iowa Legal Aid addresses the complex challenges low-income families face. The project involves a medical-legal partnership, where patients receive legal assistance to alleviate conditions affecting their health.” (Sioux City Journal)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Board of Directors presented Pro Bono Service Awards to the law office of Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC and three Vermont attorneys in recognition of their extraordinary commitment to equal justice.

Recipients of the Pro Bono Service Awards are:

• Sandra Baird, an attorney who has volunteered with the Legal Services Law Line of Vermont since 1987 and been an important supporter of the Satur­day Free Walk-In Legal Clinic.
• P. Scott McGee, an attorney with Hershenson, Carter, Scott and McGee, PC. He has closed approximately 25 pro bono cases, many involving complex legal matters related to family law, contracts, or homeownership.
• Rebecca Rice, an attorney practicing law in Rutland with Cohen & Rice. She has been a volunteer with Legal Services Law Line of Vermont since 1987, handing complex and emergency bankruptcy cases for low-income clients.
• Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC, Vermont’s largest law firm and a long-time supporter of pro bono efforts in the state. It provides financial support for trainings, offers office space to other pro bono attorneys, and is a strong supporter of the Chittenden County Small Claims Clinic.

(Legal Services Corporation)

Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

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

Happy Friday! Welcome to a double issue this week. Lots of funding news, and one interesting lawsuit, so let’s get to it.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• New attorneys’ fees in Ohio to fund legal aid;
• Funds for new prosecutors in South Carolina;
• Senator and Representative propose bills to fix America’s strained public defense system;
• New Hampshire approves $1 million in new legal aid funds;
• New fellowship promoting public interest law names first recipient;
• Pennsylvania Department of Aging receives legal assistance grant;
• Ohio lawyers donated over 76,000 pro bono hours;
• Ontario Access to Justice Challenge finalists announced;
• State grant funds more legal services for Vermont seniors;
• Missouri’s public defender system sues over funding cuts;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

July 1, 2016 – “New attorneys’ fees approved by the Ohio Supreme Court will help fund legal services for poor and disadvantaged Ohioans. The fees taking effect Friday were adopted earlier this year by the Ohio Supreme Court. Under new court rules, annual registration fees paid by out-of-state attorneys to appear in Ohio courtrooms increase from $150 to $300. The court also approved a voluntary $50 ‘add-on’ fee on top of the $350 attorney registration fee paid every two years. Money raised from the fees will help pay for civil legal aid services for poor or disadvantaged Ohioans. The court’s Task Force on Access to Justice recommended the increases last year.” (Home Town Stations)

July 3, 2016 – “South Carolina’s criminal justice system will see changes in the coming months, as millions of dollars the Legislature approved to help lighten unmanageable prosecutor caseloads start to trickle into judicial circuits. The Legislature approved $7.8 million in this year’s state budget with the goal of adding an estimated 104 prosecutors statewide. The cash is expected to lower the burden on prosecutors, especially in poorer and rural districts, where the workload discrepancy is stark.” “Legislators also approved $2.9 million to have South Carolina hire more prosecutors specifically to deal with criminal domestic violence cases and end the practice of having police officers playing the role of prosecutor against seasoned criminal defense attorneys in magistrates court.” “The extra money is expected to reduce the average caseload to 280. ‘That’s a start,’ said David Ross, executive director of the Commission on Prosecution Coordination.” (The State)

July 8, 2016 – “U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) announced the beginning of a new bicameral effort to fix America’s strained public defender system. Sen. Booker is introducing the Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016, legislation that seeks to address the indigent defense crisis in many states throughout the country. Rep. Maloney has introduced the Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016 in the House. The two will partner to advance the legislation through Congress. ‘The right to counsel is a constitutional right guaranteed to all Americans. Sadly, all too often our broken justice system falls short of providing this right, and the consequences of these shortcomings is felt most acutely in low-income communities all across this country,’ Sen. Booker said. ‘The Equal Justice Under Law Act seeks to fill in the glaring gaps that have left too many Americans vulnerable and without adequate legal representation. I will continue to work relentlessly to better balance the scales of justice so that we can truly be a nation of liberty and justice for all.'” “The Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016 would: create a federal cause of action that allows indigent criminal defendants to file a lawsuit against states and political subdivisions for systemic failures to provide effective assistance of counsel in felony cases; permit litigants to file a class action lawsuit against states and localities for systemic failures to provide effective assistance of counsel in felony cases; and in the Senate version, it would require states to consult with representatives from the public defender community prior to distributing Byrne JAG funds.” (Cape May County Herald)

RELATED: “U.S. Sen. Cory Booker has also introduced the Clarence Gideon Full Access to Justice Act (Gideon Act), which would establish a federal corporation dedicated to delivering independent, uniform, and quality defense representation in criminal cases before the United States Supreme Court and, at times, the highest courts in the states.” “‘The Gideon Act seeks to support ordinary citizens in their pursuit of justice by providing access to high-quality and specialized representation at the Supreme Court.'” (Cape May Herald)

July 8, 2016 – “The [New Hampshire] Executive Council last week approved $1 million in new funding for New Hampshire Legal Assistance and two other organizations to expand legal aid services to more victims of stalking and domestic violence. Of the more than 5,000 domestic violence and stalking victims who filed restraining order petitions in the state in 2015, just 9 percent received legal help, according to the court system. ‘Victims who are unrepresented are at an enormous disadvantage in court,’ said Amanda Grady Sexton, public policy director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. With the new money, New Hampshire Legal Assistance will hire two attorneys focused solely on domestic violence and stalking cases, more than doubling the organization’s current capacity to help victims. The Legal Advice and Referral Center, which connects victims with crisis centers and lawyers, will hire an additional intake worker. And the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Pro Bono Program will launch a new statewide program to help stalking victims and work to recruit more private volunteer attorneys. The partnership will put more effort into reaching immigrant, refugee and non-English speaking victims who may face cultural or language barriers that prevent them from seeking help.” (Valley News)

July 8, 2016 – “Lisa Hartline overcame personal obstacles with poverty and homelessness to go to law school. At age 41, she’s a year away from her degree, and she plans to turn around and help others experiencing the same struggles she did in West Virginia. This year, Hartline was the inaugural recipient of the Regina Charon Fellowship, which provides a stipend to a West Virginia University College of Law student to spend the summer working at Legal Aid of West Virginia. The fellowship was created to honor a former Morgantown lawyer and administrative judge, Regina Charon, who worked for North Central Legal Aid of West Virginia after earning her law degree from WVU in 1976. It’s one of many internships funded through the West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest. Hartline will spend 10 weeks working at the Parkersburg office of Legal Aid of West Virginia, with support from a $5,500 stipend.” (West Virginia Record)

July 8, 2016 – “Today, Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Teresa Osborne announced that the department has received a federal grant to enhance and strengthen Pennsylvania’s senior legal service delivery systems. The grant will enable the department to further protect the rights, health, and safety of older Pennsylvanians, with a focus on victims of elder abuse and exploitation.” “The purpose of the grant is to implement a well-integrated and cost-effective legal service delivery system that maximizes the impact of limited legal resources for older Pennsylvanians with the greatest need. This entails assessing the capacity of the current legal service delivery system, developing and implementing legal service delivery standards and guidelines as well as data collection and reporting systems, creating and strengthening no-cost and low-cost legal service delivery mechanisms, and establishing new guardianship and court-based initiatives. The department will fulfill the grant requirements through a partnership with the SeniorLAW Center, a non-profit organization which improves the lives of older Pennsylvanians and protects their rights through legal representation, education, and advocacy.” (Yahoo Finance)

July 8, 2016 – “The Ohio Supreme Court says attorneys around the state donated more than 76,000 hours of legal services last year. The state’s high court and the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation said Thursday that more than 4,300 attorneys voluntarily reported pro-bono services for 2015. That’s more than double the number of attorneys who reported such work last year.” (The Washington Times)

July 11, 2016 – “The Legal Innovation Zone at Ryerson University, in partnership with the Ministry of the Attorney General, announced the ten startup finalists in the Ontario Access to Justice Challenge. After reviewing the 29 applications received, 10 finalists have been chosen because of their innovative service, process, and/or solution that will challenge the status quo of legal services and enhance access to justice in Ontario. The 10 finalists are: Codify Legal Publishing, Compliance Buster, Courthouse Access, JusticeTrans, Law Scout Inc., Legale(a)se, Legally Inc., Lex Cortex Ltd, ParDONE and Small Claims Wizard. These 10 startups will pitch to a panel of judges on Wednesday July 20 at the Legal Innovation Zone. Six of these teams will be awarded working space at the Legal Innovation Zone for four months, including access to mentors, advisors and other resources.” “At the end of four months, the six startups will participate in a ‘Demo Day,’ where three of the six startups will be selected and awarded seed money totaling $50,000 and invited to stay in the Legal Innovation Zone for an additional four months.” (Legal Innovation Zone)

July 13, 2016 – “Vermont received an Administration for Community Living grant that will provide $178,500 each year for three years to expand legal services for at-risk older adults. The Model Approaches to Statewide Legal Assistance Systems demonstration grant is a cooperative grant between the Vermont Agency of Human Services’ Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) and Vermont Legal Aid. The grants are designed to help states respond effectively to legal issues affecting seniors with significant social or economic needs. In Vermont, the funding will be used to develop services specifically for seniors at the statewide legal hotline, Vermont Law Help, as well as to provide legal training, to do outreach, and to build and strengthen partnerships throughout the state with the court system, Adult Protective Services, the Office of Public Guardian, the Area Agencies on Aging, and others.” (Vermont Biz)

July 13, 2016 – “Missouri’s public defender agency is suing over what it calls Gov. Jay Nixon’s unconstitutional decision to withhold $3.5 million in funds for defending the indigent. The Missouri State Public Defender system and the state’s Public Defender Commission filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Cole County. The plaintiffs allege that Nixon has cut its budget by 8.5 percent while no general revenue was restricted from Nixon’s own budget.” (WGEM)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

For its work in providing unmet legal needs to underserved parts of the United States, the University of Georgia School of Law was awarded the State Bar of Georgia’s Law School Excellence in Access to Justice Award. The UGA School of Law was selected for the award because of its ‘Working in the Public Interest’ — UGA Law Student Access to Justice Project, a group-led, student-run conference. Public law practitioners from around the world travel to this conference held by UGA Law students to speak about public issues and provide networking opportunities to students interested in public law. (The Red & Black)

Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

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

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Mandatory pro bono reporting proposed in Virginia;
• Special Report:  A Year of Service;
• Illinois Bar Foundation renews $15,000 grant to PILI;
• Iowa Supreme Court establishes access to justice commission;
• Thunder Bay one site for Ontario pilot project to assist victims of sexual assault;
• 2016 Access to Justice Conference explores urgent need for civil legal assistance;
• DC Bar Foundation awards $900,00 to expand access to justice;
• JAG recruiters return to Lavender Law;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

June 23, 2016 – “A Virginia Supreme Court panel has proposed a requirement that lawyers report the number of hours and dollar amount of donations they make to pro bono each year. The June 5 proposal – unanimously approved by the court-appointed Virginia Access to Justice Commission – was presented June 16 to the Virginia State Bar.” (Virginia Lawyers Weekly)(subscription required)

June 27, 2016 – “The American Lawyer’s latest survey of Big Law’s pro efforts, from law firm rankings to project profiles and the state of the Justice Gap.” On of the most striking aspects of the survey is the wide range of pro bono projects, and the scope of their work.  The survey also looks specifically at the Clemency Project.  Check out the link for the full survey, including law firm pro bono rankings. (American Lawyer)

June 27, 2016 – “PILI is grateful to the Illinois Bar Foundation for renewing their $15,000 grant to PILI. This funding helps to support our statewide pro bono efforts through our Pro Bono Initiative and our Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees. We share the IBF’s mission to enhance the availability of justice for those without attorneys, and through these programs we work to promote pro bono throughout the state.”  (Public Interest Law Initiative)

June 27, 2016 – “Too many Iowans can’t afford attorneys, giving people no choice but to represent themselves in the justice system, according to the Iowa Supreme Court. In response, the court is establishing the Iowa Access to Justice Commission to help remove financial barriers preventing people from getting legal representation, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady wrote in an order on Monday.” “Along with the establishment of the Access to Justice Commission, Cady ordered a grant by way of $26,646 to the ISBA Public Service Project for the sole purpose of providing staff for the commission through July 2017.” (Des Moines Register)

June 28, 2016 – “Ontario is piloting a new program in three cities, including Thunder Bay, that will give survivors of sexual assault access to free legal advice, regardless of how much time has passed since the incident. Starting June 28, survivors of sexual assault living in Toronto, Ottawa, and the District of Thunder Bay will be able to receive up to four hours of free, confidential advice from a lawyer. The pilot is expected to run until March 2018. During that time, the province will assess the effectiveness of the program and determine its next steps.” (CBC News)

June 28, 2016 – “An outspoken former Chief Judge of the New York courts challenged judges and other leaders across the country to step up the fight to provide access to justice for thousands of people who, because of financial need, are left to represent themselves in civil court cases.” “The 2016 conference brought together attorneys, judges, legal service providers and lay people to discuss ongoing challenges to providing legal representation for thousands of people who have no means to pay an attorney in civil cases that often involve basic needs, such as housing issues and parental rights. Also included on the day-long conference agenda were discussions about homelessness, landlord-tenant mediation, attorney training for self-help centers, affordable housing issues, implicit bias, and ceded land and quiet title actions.” (University of Hawai’i System News)

June 30, 2016 – “Between July 2016 and December 2017, the DC Bar Foundation (DCBF) will award $900,000 to 22 organizations that provide direct civil legal assistance to underserved and low-income DC residents. These grants are funded by private donations to DCBF and by the DC Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, which DCBF administers. The organizations receiving grants provide legal help in many areas of civil law, including housing, employment, domestic violence, immigration, education, health, and disability rights.” (DC Bar Foundation)

June 30, 2016 – In another historic step, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today that, effective immediately, the US military will have a policy allowing for open transgender service. Not only is this great news for civil rights, but it also opens another avenue of legal service for many.  In response, the LGBT Bar has invited JAG recruiters to return to the Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair in August.  See the link for more details.  (LGBT Bar Association)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Music Bonus!  

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

Happy Friday!  Are you an intern in a new city looking for fun (and cheap) stuff to do?  Well, we’ve got you covered.  Check out our “Having Fun on the Cheap” in PSJD’s Resource Center. You just might find your next great adventure.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• New York State Senate approves indigent defense bill;
• Texas Advocacy Project receives Texas Access to Justice Foundation grant;
• John Marshall Law School Domestic Violence Clinic receives ISBA Excellence in Education Award;
• ACLU sues Utah for failing indigent defense system;
• Louisiana governor signs indigent defense funding bill;
• Rhode Island Center for Law & Public Policy to close;
• South Dakota lawyer set to launch the Collaborative Legal Incubator Program;
• AmeriCorps to receive $2.7 million in Hawaii;
• Texas A&M University School of Law launches incubator program;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

June 17, 2016 – “A long-running push to make the state pay full reimbursement for indigent defense costs passed a major hurdle Thursday afternoon. The state Senate voted 61-0 to approve the indigent defense bill, which came on the heels of the state Assembly’s unanimous approval last Friday. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has to sign the measure before it takes effect. The legislation would be phased in over the next seven years beginning in 2017.” (Watertown Daily Times)

June 17, 2016 – “Kicking off Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Texas Advocacy Project announces it has received $165,496 in funding as one of eight agencies awarded a LASSA (Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault) grant from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. The funding for these grants was obtained through a state tax levied on certain types of sexually-oriented businesses. With this funding The Project will continue delivering legal services to low-income sexual assault survivors including victims of intimate partner violence, acquaintance, and stranger sexual assault referred by collaborative partners. Family law services include advice and counsel through The Project’s legal lines, aid with protective orders including MOEPs, oversight in pro se matters, direct representation, and impact litigation. In addition to family law services, attorneys at The Project will provide holistic legal remedies that are identified as primary needs of survivors, such as safety, privacy, employment, housing, immigration, and education. Finally, funding allows The Project to participate in targeted outreach and trainings to college and university students, faculty, campus law enforcement, and others on the legal rights of victims of sexual assault, leveraging its experience with youth and education law to benefit that especially vulnerable population.”  (The Dallas Weekly)

June 20, 2016 – “The John Marshall Law School’s Domestic Violence Clinic was awarded the Excellence in Legal Education Award by the Illinois State Bar Association. The ISBA award honors law school programs that emphasize real-world skills for students. The award is a wonderful honor, said Domestic Violence Clinic director and John Marshall Law School Professor Debra Pogrund Stark. ‘I’m so proud of the dedicated students and attorneys in our clinic who do such excellent work with adult and child survivors of domestic violence. We all hope the validation this award provides will help us to promote the clinic’s work and to fund the costs to operate the clinic at the highest level of excellence.’ The ISBA’s Standing Committee on Women and the Law nominated the Domestic Violence Clinic for the award calling it ‘truly unique.'” (Globe Newswire)

June 20, 2016 – “The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah is suing the state for failing to provide adequate indigent defense services to the public…a requirement under the 6th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The ACLU issued a report back in 2011 that said Utah was falling short of its obligation to provide attorneys to criminal defendants who can’t afford to hire one. The 6th Amendment Center, based in Boston, Massachusetts, reached the same conclusion last fall when it released a report of its own. Marina Lowe is the legislative and policy council for the ACLU of Utah. ‘People’s rights are being violated today,’ Lowe says. ‘It’s not enough to say, in three years maybe you’ll get what is your due under the constitution. It’s not like your rights can be put on a layaway plan.’ Utah is one of only two states that neither funds, nor oversees indigent defense. That responsibility is left to individual counties. That’s led to inconsistent service across the state, says Salt Lake City Attorney and former public defender Rich Mauro.” “During the 2016 Legislative Session, lawmakers passed a bill to create an indigent defense commission to track cases and develop guidelines for local defenders. It also provided $1.5 million in one-time funding for county governments. The ACLU’s Marina Low says that’s insignificant considering counties across the state spend roughly $24 million per year on indigent defense.” (KUER)

June 21, 2016 – “Louisiana will rework how it spends the money it allocates to defending the poor, to ensure two-thirds of it flows to local indigent defenders, under a new law signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. That measure was among a package of bill signings released Monday evening by the governor’s office. The bill by Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Albany, requires the Louisiana Public Defender Board to dedicate at least 65 percent of its annual financing to local defenders of the indigent, which have been struggling with financial shortfalls.” (nola.com)

June 21, 2016 – “Geoffrey A. Schoos, president of the Rhode Island Center for Law and Public Policy, Inc. (RICLAPP), a non-profit legal services organization, recently announced the center will cease operations and close its doors at 3288 Post Road in Warwick effective June 30. ‘As a non-profit legal services organization that provided legal counsel and direct services to thousands of low-income, underserved Rhode Islanders, finances were always a challenge,’ Schoos wrote in an email to the Beacon. Over the past two years, Schoos said the center has attempted to obtain funds through the legislature and the judiciary, as well as from private donors and foundations. For several months, he said the center suspended taking new clients until funds could be found to continue operations. There were even attempts to merge with other organizations in an effort to keep the legal services available to those most in need, but those efforts were unsuccessful.” (Warwick Beacon)

June 21, 2016 – “A Sioux Falls lawyer wants to mobilize her peers to help close a gap that exists for lower-income South Dakotans in need of legal services. Taneeza Islam, a Sioux Falls immigration lawyer, created a free year-long program called the Collaborative Legal Incubator Program, or CLIP, that will train young lawyers on how to run successful firms, and in turn, they will provide free to low cost legal services to low-income clients for at least a year. ‘What it does is provide access to vulnerable community members by training new lawyers on how to build a sustainable practice,’ Islam said. ‘Access to a lawyer is critical for these vulnerable people to help them navigate the legal system.'” (Argus Leader)

June 23, 2016 – “Sen. Brian Schatz was able to secure $2.7 million to help fund AmeriCorps programs across the state, officials confirmed Wednesday. ‘This new funding is great news for Hawaii,’ Schatz said. ‘AmeriCorps members supported by these grants will serve across the state, teaching in high-need schools, improving public parks, and providing legal resources and other services to veterans and their families.’ The funds from the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency for volunteering and service programs, will support three grants. One will go toward supporting 18 AmeriCorps members who work at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii.” (The Garden Island)

June 23, 2016 – “In response to the need to train recent law graduates for solo practice and to help bridge the state’s justice gap, Texas A&M University School of Law is introducing a new incubator program designed to accelerate recent graduates’ transition from law school to solo and small firm practice. This is the first incubator-type program launched in Texas. The Texas Bar Foundation approved a grant to support the program, formally titled The Texas Apprenticeship Network: Empowering Solo Practitioners to Help Bridge the Justice Gap.” “The Texas Apprenticeship Program will match recent law graduates with practitioners who share the common goal of helping address the state’s growing need for attorneys to assist pro bono and modest means clients. The recent graduates, as apprentices, will work in the offices of solo and small firm attorneys who mentor the apprentices in communities and areas of interest in which the apprentices want to work after admission to law practice. Through this process, the apprentices will obtain experience while learning about practice management. The mentors will also commit to connecting the apprentices in the community. In addition to learning from their mentors, the apprentices will complete a practicum on law practice management. In the practicum, the apprentices will develop their business plans and tools for their solo practices. The practicum also provides a network for the apprentices and opportunities for innovation. For example, the apprentices may collaborate in developing tools and applications for unbundled legal services.” (PRNewswire)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

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

Happy Friday!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Harvard clinical program receives grant from Milstein Foundation to launch Syrian Refugee Resettlement Project;
• Tennessee Supreme Court selects firm to launch new pro bono initiative;
• The Legal Services Corporation turns to law firms for assistance;
• Attorney and entrepreneur seek to uberize legal services;
• Virginia Access to Justice Commission launches self-help website;
• Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law launches Food and Beverage Law Clinic;
• Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii receives surplus funds from bank settlement;
• Echoing Green announces 2016 Fellows;
• USPTO to expand law school clinic certification program;
• Ohio Attorney General announces grant for legal aid for seniors;
• Equal Justice Works gets grant to help elder-abuse victims;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

June 10, 2016 – “The Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program has received a generous grant from the Howard and Abby Milstein Foundation to launch the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Project. The Obama Administration has committed to resettling at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the current fiscal year. Due to bottlenecks in processing, the United States has fallen far short of its goal to date. Over the next six months, the Clinic will be working to gather and analyze information regarding current obstacles to efficient processing of Syrians destined for U.S. resettlement. The Clinic will compile a compendium of relevant laws and regulations related to refugee resettlement, document current practice, and make practical recommendations for improvements to those processes. The report will be broadly disseminated to both Congress and the Administration and will include specific recommendations for reform.” (Harvard Law Today)

June 10, 2016 – “As part of an initiative designed to improve access to legal services, the Tennessee Supreme Court has created a new way for attorneys to earn required CLE credit for doing pro bono work and the court has designated Nashville’s Bass Berry & Sims as the first firm in the state to offer the program. Over the past decade, the court has, through the creation of the Access to Justice Commission, searched for ways to increase access to legal services. The Commission petitioned the Court to create a new designation — ‘approved legal assistance organization’ — to expand the types of entities that may confer CLE credit for pro bono cases. Under previous CLE rules, attorneys were ineligible to receive CLE credits for pro bono cases unless the cases were referred to them by a legal aid organization receiving federal funding. The update enables those organizations approved by the Tennessee Supreme Court to offer the incentive directly. As part of an approved legal assistance organization, Bass attorneys will be able to receive one hour of CLE credit for each five hours of pro bono representation. The maximum CLE credit an attorney can earn annually through this program is three. Tennessee attorneys are required to earn 15 CLE credits annually.” “Ann Pruitt, executive director at Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, said several other law firms have completed the application and qualification process to become approved legal assistance organizations.”  (Nashville Post)

June 13, 2016 – “In the fall of 2014, for the first time in its 40-year history, the Legal Services Corporation turned to the nation’s largest law firms for financial support. The cash-strapped organization asked big firms to commit as much as $250,000 or more to support its mission of funding civil legal services programs for the poor.”  So far, the effort has yielded just over $2.5 million from law firm contributions.  Some firms have stepped up in a big way, contributing the goal amount of $250,000 or more to the effort.  “This first round of law firm donations are primarily funding a summer rural legal fellows program, in which 32 lawyers in 28 states will be helping the rural poor.  (Equal Justice Works is training the fellows and administering the program.) LSC is committed to funding the rural fellows program for at least five years, said [John Levi, a Sidley & Austin partner who chairs LSC’s board], who added that he’d like to raise enough money to put 50 lawyers in the field.”  The American Lawyer takes a look at who has contributed and how much.  There have been some great efforts so far, but it is clear from the article, that there is more work to be done.  (American Lawyer)

June 13, 2016 – “[U]p until now, the legal industry had remained relatively untouched by this newfound demand for digital automation. Partners Matthew Horn and Ryan Caltagirone are ready to change that. Founded in 2015, Legal Services Link has rapidly risen to become one of the industry’s most dynamic assets for consumers. It’s essentially an intuitive, online forum that enables businesses and individuals to instantly connect with the perfect attorney to suit their legal needs. Not only does Legal Services Link provide users with access to an all-encompassing, old-fashioned database with which to track down legal help — but it also allows them to post a concise summary of the precise job they’ve got in mind. In turn, multiple attorneys are then free to review the work and submit an application directly back to the user. Bottom line: rather than chase down dozens of attorneys, Legal Services Link ensures that the perfect person for the job comes directly to you. Better yet, the service is completely free for would-be clients. It’s also free for attorneys to join the forum — although they are required to pay a small annual fee in order to upgrade to a premium account and communicate directly with clients.” “As part of the Chicago-based 1871 incubator, Legal Services Link has taken off fast — and it’s already started to turn heads within the legal industry. In May, the fledgling start-up expanded its increasingly diverse pool of attorneys after launching a new partnership with the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN), a bar association for attorneys whose spouses are or were in the military. And as Legal Services Link continues its aggressive rate of expansion, Horn said he’s hopeful the legal industry will finally start to evolve along with it.” (Small Business Trends)

June 14, 2016 – “The Virginia Judicial System Court Self-Help Website provides neutral legal information as a public service on common topics of interest for self-represented litigants. Topics include traffic tickets, divorce, and landlord-tenant issues. The website features glossaries of legal terms used in the district and circuit courts and instructions for routine processes. The goal is to make the courts more accessible for all citizens, the court said in a news release. A project of the Virginia Access to Justice Commission, the website addresses various case types and organizes information from the state judicial system website and other sources into user friendly content areas. The site features responsive design that works on computers, smartphones, and tablets, the release said.” (Virginia Lawyers Weekly)

June 14, 2016 – “Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law announced today that it has received a generous grant of $400,000 from alumnus Rob Sands, and from Constellation Brands, where Mr. Sands is CEO and President. The gift will sponsor a two-year pilot of a new Food and Beverage Law Clinic that will provide transactional legal services to farmers, community and grassroots groups, and mission-oriented food and beverage entrepreneurs. The Clinic is part of a broader collaboration between Pace Law and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to expand the capacity of the legal community to provide direct services to individuals and organizations seeking to build a more sustainable and healthy regional food system. In order to implement innovative practices, farmers, food entrepreneurs, micro brewers and distillers, and other activists must navigate a complicated legal landscape governing everything from labeling to estate planning.” (PR Newswire)

June 14, 2016 – “Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii received $107,000 from the Perkin & Faria law firm after the settlement of a $2 million class action against American Savings Bank over the bank’s overdraft fees, firm partner Brandee Faria told Pacific Business News on Tuesday. The lawsuit was among a group of cases filed by Perkin & Faria in 2011 against American Savings Bank, Central Pacific Bank and Bank of Hawaii. The suits alleged that the banks used improper methods of calculating overdraft fees on debit card and ATM transactions.” “Surplus settlement funds accumulate when class members in a case are, for various reasons, unable to collect them. According to Hawaii’s cy pres rule, certain charitable organizations in Hawaii receive these funds, legal service organizations among them. Most of the money will go to support Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii’s core services, including its biweekly legal clinics.” (Pacific Business News)

June 14, 2016 – “Echoing Green, a global organization that supports social entrepreneurs, today announced its 2016 Fellowship class. These 33 exceptional innovators will develop social enterprises that address some of the world’s most intractable challenges around economic development, racial and gender equity, food security, and the environment. Each Fellow will become part of a global network of leaders identified by Echoing Green as dramatic, scalable, and important to the progress of the world. Fellows will access a community of funders, investors, and entrepreneurs across issue areas, geographies, and disciplines. Seed funding of up to $90,000 will also be available to them for two years to support the growth of their organizations. For nearly 30 years, Echoing Green has provided a launch pad for projects with a purpose. It serves as an early and important investor in the growing field of social entrepreneurship. This year, the organization reviewed 2,077 applications from 120 countries, which represent meaningful trends from the front lines of social change. This year’s Fellows are split almost evenly between for-profit (43 percent) and nonprofit organizations (39 percent). An additional 14 percent have a hybrid model, and 4 percent are not yet decided.” (Globe Newswire)

June 15, 2016 – “The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that it opened the current Law School Clinic Certification Program (Program) to admit additional schools to commence participation in the Program. This Program allows law students to practice patent and/or trademark law before the USPTO under the guidance of a law school faculty clinic supervisor. Submissions from interested law school clinical programs will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 30, 2017. Applications from interested law school clinics will be examined for admission into the Program as they are received.
Students in both the patent and trademark portions of the Program can expect to draft and file applications and respond to Office Actions. Each law school clinical program must meet and maintain the requirements for USPTO certification in order for law school clinic students to practice before the USPTO. The Program began in 2008 with 6 schools selected to allow students to practice before the USPTO in patents and/or trademarks. The Program expanded in 2010, 2012 and 2014.  Currently 42 law school clinics participate in the Program, 17 clinics participate in both the patent and trademark portions of the Program, 19 clinics participate only in the trademark portion of the Program, and 6 clinics participate only in the patent portion of the Program. Details on the Program expansion and application materials are available here.” (USPTO News & Updates)

June 15, 2016 – “In recognition of Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has announced a $738,000 grant to support a statewide project of Pro Seniors and Ohio’s legal aids to provide free legal assistance to older Ohioans. The funding will support a telephone-based legal hotline and direct civil legal guidance and assistance to Ohioans age 60 and older. Pro Seniors, as the lead organization and coordinator, will receive referrals from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. In partnership with Ohio’s legal aids, they will provide legal assistance to seniors, their family members, and individuals concerned about the health, financial stability, safety, and security of seniors.” (The Van Wert Independent)

June 15, 2016 – “Equal Justice Works has received a $1.4 million grant as a part of the Elder Justice AmeriCorps initiative, the nonprofit organization announced Tuesday. In response to growing awareness of elder abuse, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Corporation for National and Community Service announced the creation of the Elder Justice AmeriCorps grant program in September 2015 to provide elder abuse victims with legal aid and support services. The $1.4 million grant, awarded over the next two years, will help Equal Justice Works connect 150 AmeriCorps members—25 practicing lawyers and 125 law students—and some 300 pro bono volunteers to a network of partner organizations that focus on elder abuse. Under the supervision and training of these organizations, volunteers will provide legal assistance to about 8,000 low-income adults.” (American Lawyer)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

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

Happy Friday! I’m so sad to be saying goodbye to our PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang this week.  She has been such a pleasure to work with, and has contributed so much to PSJD.  We will miss her very much!  In very good news for all of us, she has made sure we have music for the Super Music Bonus to sustain us through the rest of the summer. So we will have a piece of her for a bit longer. We wish her well at the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.  We know she will be doing great things!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Toronto judge rules legal aid qualifying threshold too high;
• Boston Bar Foundation grants support assistance to homeless and others;
• Bill to reimburse counties for indigent defense passes New York Assembly;
• Missouri public defense system to see budget increase;
• Free women’s legal aid clinic opens in British Columbia in partnership with law school;
• Ottawa commits an extra $30 million for legal aid;
• Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

June 3, 2016 – “A Toronto judge has criticized the income cut-off for legal aid funding in Ontario as ‘not realistic’ given the face of poverty in Canada. Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer was presiding over the case of Tyrell Moodie, charged with a number of drug offences, who was denied funding by Legal Aid Ontario because he made more than the organization’s threshold income level for a single person — about $12,000. Moodie, 23, works part time and earned about $16,000 in 2015. Nordheimer put a halt to the charges against Moodie until the government picks up the tab for his lawyer, which the court heard could cost a minimum of $11,000. ‘It should be obvious to any outside observer that the income thresholds being used by Legal Aid Ontario do not bear any reasonable relationship to what constitutes poverty in this country,’ Nordheimer wrote in a ruling last week.” “A spokesperson for LAO said demand for legal aid for low-income individuals remains high. ‘Although the province has recognized this and has made a multi-year commitment to raising the legal aid financial eligibility thresholds, Legal Aid Ontario has a yearly budget it must adhere to and it must prioritize, in accordance with its legislation, the cases it is able to fund,’ said Feroneh Neil in an email. There have been three 6-percent increases to the financial eligibility thresholds since 2014, Neil noted, with the most recent this past April.” (The Hamilton Spectator)

June 3, 2016 – “Housing Families of Malden will get a share of $1 million in grants from the Boston Bar Foundation (BBF), the charitable affiliate of the Boston Bar Association. The grants will go to 21 community organizations that work to provide legal services to those in need. Approximately 55 percent of the funding comes from proceeds from BBF’s annual John & Abigail Adams Benefit and BBF reserves, with the remainder derived from Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) funds. The grantee organizations administer legal aid to the most vulnerable and underprivileged members of the population, such as the homeless, domestic violence survivors, at-risk children and veterans. ‘I am thrilled that the Boston Bar Foundation’s grants program has reached the million-dollar mark,’ said BBF President Lisa Goodheart, a partner at Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen. ‘The tremendous success of the John & Abigail Adams Benefit, as well as the year-round support of the BBF’s mission by lawyers, law firms, and area businesses has allowed us to assist these 21 important organizations in providing access to justice for those in need.'”  (Wicked Local Malden)

June 3, 2016 – “The New York State Assembly passed legislation [last week] that would fully reimburse counties for the costs of providing public defenders to poor defendants by 2023. The legislation, which passed with 132 yes votes, and 0 no votes, would reimburse counties an increasing percentage of public defense costs, starting at 25 percent in 2017 until it reimbursed 100 percent of counties’ costs by 2023.” “The legislation is in response to new guidelines released by the state’s Office of Indigent Legal Defense that drastically increase the number of criminal defendants who would qualify for a free public defender by doubling the income cutoff from 125 percent of the federal poverty threshold to 250 percent. The new 250 percent income cutoff means a single defendant would need to earn less than $29,700 a year to qualify for a free lawyer, double the $14,850 or less they’d have had to earn under the 125 percent cutoff. The new guidelines, announced in April, are set to go into effect October 3.” “An identical bill is currently pending in the Senate’s Finance Committee.” (Livingston County News)

June 6, 2016 – “Missouri’s public defenders will see a $4.5 million cash infusion in the coming fiscal year, after studies and experts have described the office as chronically underfunded. Under the state budget that takes effect July 1, the State Public Defender System could begin chipping away at caseloads that have raised questions about whether poor defendants are being adequately represented. While it likely will mean the hiring of an additional 10 employees, the bulk of the money is going to be used to hire private attorneys on a contractual basis, allowing the office’s 370-plus attorneys to focus on their cases, said system director Michael Barrett. ‘This targeted funding will allow us to contract out co-defendants to the private bar, significantly reducing the amount of time attorneys spend on the road and replacing it with time spent working on cases,’ Barrett said. ‘It makes an already efficient defender system all the more so.'” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

June 7, 2016 – “A new center for women, the first of its kind in British Columbia, opened its doors May 24 to provide legal help for free or a reduced-cost. ‘We are incredibly proud to announce that, today, the doors open to an historic new service in B.C.,’ said a spokesperson for the charity responsible for setting up the service. ‘We couldn’t be more thrilled that BC women will now have greater access to legal assistance.’ The charity, West Coast LEAF, partnered with the law school at the University of British Columbia to open a full service storefront legal clinic that will serve low income women. Rise Women’s Legal Centre, will provide a full range of legal services with a focus in family law. It will be staffed by upper-year law students who are closely supervised by onsite attorneys. Services will include filing documents in court and representing clients in their hearings.” (GoodNewsNetwork)

June 8, 2016 – “Ottawa plans to give the provinces more money for legal aid programs to help improve access to the justice system. ‘All Canadians — no matter their means — should have the right to a fair trial and access to a modern, efficient justice system,’ Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said in a statement issued Wednesday. The federal government committed $88 million over five years in the federal budget this year. Wilson-Raybould now has announced another $30 million a year in ongoing funding to boost legal aid services for people who cannot afford to pay for lawyers. But that additional funding will not begin until 2021.” “The money will go to the federal Legal Aid Program, which is then distributed to the provinces for delivery of services. Each province and territory sets its own policies and priorities when it comes to legal aid. The government said the money will also come with performance measures to ensure it is doing what it is supposed to do.” (Winnipeg Free Press)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Pro Bono Innovator of the Year – Suffolk Law School

One of two Pro Bono Innovator of the Year honors goes to Suffolk Law’s Institute on Law Practice Tech & Innovation (LPTI), the school’s parent organization of legal technology programs, and its Accelerator-to-Practice Program. The program teaches students how to use legal technology, practice law, and give legal services to low and middle income clients. LPTI is also training students on how to use high-tech tools that make lawyering more efficient and lower the costs per client. Law students learn about project management, process improvement and document automation, as well. (Legal Tech News)

Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

Happy Friday!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Understanding taxable forgiveness on student loans;
• Wal-Mart Law Stores a reality in Missouri;
• New York City Bar urges Governor and Legislature to support fully funding indigent defense;
• Michigan Supreme Court conditionally approves initial standards for indigent defense;
• Legal aid with a digital twist;
• Some non-profit employees told they don’t qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness;
• Bill to guarantee public defender funding sent to Louisiana Governor;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

May 27, 2016 – Here is a great article from Ashley Matthews, former PSJD Fellow and current Program Manager for Law School Engagement & Advocacy for Equal Justice Works, on the taxable forgiveness options besides Public Service Loan Forgiveness.  (Huffington Post)

June 1, 2016 – “According to a 2009 study by the Legal Services Corp., a nonprofit funder of civil legal-aid groups, less than 20 percent of legal problems experienced by low-income Americans are addressed with the help of an attorney. Reasons for not seeking legal representation vary. Studies suggest some people assume they can resolve legal issues themselves, others may not be aware their problem is legally actionable, and some believe they cannot afford the help of a lawyer. Whatever the barrier to legal representation, The Law Store hopes to break it down. A fully functional legal office based in Wal-Mart stores, two Law Store locations will have grand openings today. The stores — one in the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 2623 W. 7th St. in Joplin [Missouri] and the other in the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 3200 Lusk Drive in Neosho [Missouri] — have been operating since early May, handling basic legal services such as traffic offenses, family law and wills and estate planning. ‘The Law Store is a law firm, that’s what it is,’ said Katrina Richards, a Joplin attorney and chief public relations officer for The Law Store. ‘But what we handle are basic, transactional services, smaller things. Things that most every American needs, but a lot of people are not able, or they don’t know a lawyer, or they just, for some reason, they don’t go to a lawyer to get these types of services. Those types of things that can help out everyday Americans, but they otherwise might not get the service.’ The Law Store operates on an upfront, menu-style pricing model instead of the traditional hourly rate, and it doesn’t charge for an initial consultation.” “Five more locations are planned in Missouri by the end of the year, and the company says 11 other states have expressed interest in bringing in The Law Store locations. Hershewe said the business could be in as many as 1,500 Wal-Mart stores.”(The Joplin Globe)

June 1, 2016 – “The City Bar’s Mass Incarceration Task Force sent a report to Albany last week urging the Legislature and Governor Cuomo to support full funding of indigent defense services throughout New York State by backing bill A.6202-C/S.6341-B (the ‘Bill’). The right to counsel in criminal proceedings is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, the New York Constitution and state law; and in Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court held that states are required to provide counsel to any person charged with a crime who cannot afford a lawyer. However, New York’s County Law 18-B makes the 62 state counties responsible for providing indigent defense services, and has resulted in a ‘patchwork of services’ that falls short of the constitutional mandate. The report encourages the enactment of the Bill this session, which ‘would send the message to New Yorkers and to the country that New York State is committed to a fair criminal justice system where a person’s right to meaningful and effective counsel does not depend on his or her location within the State.’ The Bill also would require the State to reimburse every county the full amount of its expenditures for providing indigent defense services. Additionally, it would require statewide standards and regulations that ensure every person has an attorney at arraignment, that regulate the caseloads of public defense attorneys so as to allow for meaningful and effective representation, and that improve the overall quality of court-appointed representation.” (New York City Bar)

June 1, 2016 – “With Administrative Order No. 2016-2, the Michigan Supreme Court today announced its conditional approval of standards that would regulate the appointment of counsel for indigent defendants in criminal cases. The standards, initially submitted by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC), also impose specific training, experience, and continuing legal education requirements on attorneys who seek appointment as counsel in these cases. The Court took this action to enable the legislatively-approved process, which is intended to promote the goal of providing effective assistance of counsel for indigent defendants in criminal cases, to continue without disruption. Although the Court shares the Legislature’s goal of providing effective assistance of counsel for these defendants, the Court’s approval is subject to and contingent on legislative revision of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Act (the Act) to address provisions of uncertain constitutionality.” (Michigan Courts News Release)

June 1, 2016 – Here is another great example of technology making it easier and more efficient to provide legal aid.  The article also takes a look at the ever-growing link between technology and legal services. “Matthew Stubenberg was a law student at the University of Maryland in 2010 when he spent part of a day doing expungements. It was a standard law school clinic where students learn by helping clients — in this case, he helped them to fill out and file petitions to erase parts of their criminal records. Although Maryland has a public database called Case Search, using that data to fill out the forms was tedious. ‘We spent all this time moving data from Case Search onto our forms,’ Stubenberg said. ‘We spent maybe 30 seconds on the legal piece. Why could this not be easier? This was a problem that could be fixed by a computer.’ Stubenberg knew how to code. After law school, he set out to build software that automatically did that tedious work. By September 2014 he had a prototype for MDExpungement, which went live in January 2015. (The website is not pretty — Stubenberg is a programmer, not a designer.) With MDExpungement, entering a case number brings it up on Case Search. The software then determines whether the case is expungeable. If so, the program automatically transfers the information from Case Search to the expungement form. All that’s left is to print, sign and file it with the court.” (New York Times)

June 2, 2016 – “Some nonprofit employees counting on the federal government’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program recently received word that they don’t qualify, for reasons that remain unclear. The change might be related to an employer’s tax status. Part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, the PSLF program includes charitable nonprofit employers that under the Internal Revenue Code have 501(c)(3) status. PSLF program guidelines include other nonprofits that provide public service, but some, including the American Bar Association—which has 501(c)(6) status—were told earlier this year that they don’t qualify, although they received employer certification in previous years.” “Some American Civil Liberties Union offices also lost employer certification for the program, while others received various answers from the federal government.” The first forgiveness of loan balances is expected in October 2017. Until then, it appears there will remain uncertainty and conflicting information.  Stay tuned! (ABA Journal)

June 2, 2016 – “The Louisiana House has given final passage to a reshuffling of how the state spends its money on defending the poor. With a 100-0 vote Thursday, the House sent the governor a Senate-backed House Bill 1137 from Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Albany, to require the Louisiana Public Defender Board to dedicate at least 65 percent of its annual financing to local defenders of the indigent. Parishes have reduced and restricted indigent defense services under strained operating budgets. In some recent cases, law enforcement officials have released people charged with serious crimes from prison because public defenders were not available to represent them in criminal cases. Members of the House and Senate have debated a number of ways to fund the cash-strapped system throughout the legislative session. But Mack worked with the Louisiana District Attorneys Association and people opposing the measure to gain support for his proposal and create a workable indigent defense bill that could advance to the governor. Mack said the funding percentage may not be a large change from the amount of money already given to public defenders, but the proposal would guarantee that the offices would receive a threshold amount of funding each year.” (The New Orleans Advocate)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

It is with a very heavy heart that we reflect on the passing of one of our community, Melanie Kushnir.  Many of you will remember her from her time with the ABA Center for Pro Bono.  Most recently, she was the Pro Bono Project Director for the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.  She was a passionate advocate and a good friend to those who needed access to justice the most.  We will miss her very much!

Here is nice tribute to Melanie – Las Vegas Journal-Review