Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Number of interesting stories this week, including a new initiative at the Department of Justice and a number of additional articles concerning prosecutor and public defender shortages. These stories and more are in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• 'Access DOJ' initiative aims to help veterans, citizens obtain justice (Federal Times; 20 Jun 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• NYC Bar Blasts Judges' Columbia Boycott Letter (Law360; 17 June 2024)

• ‘Trailblazing’ federal leaders urge perseverance, authenticity to government interns (Government Executive; 18 Jun 2024)

• Dems warn of agency furloughs, layoffs if spending caps are not lifted (Government Executive; 18 Jun 2024)

• Burnout among government workers is decreasing but still high, according to new pulse survey data (Government Executive; 14 Jun 2024)

• Sask. legal aid union president sees new contract as building block (Regina Leader Post; 18 Jun 2024)

• Legal Aid workers rally in front of their [New York City] offices for a new contract (New York Amsterdam News; 20 Jun 2024)

• Law Firm Pro Bono Hours Ticked Upward in 2023, But Still Trail Pre-Pandemic Participation (Law.com; 14 Jun 2024)

• [IL Gov.] Pritzker could sign mandate prioritizing diversity in nonprofit leadership (WGIL; 16 Jun 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• How to Prepare for Dramatically Higher Federal Student Loan Interest Rates (US News; 18 Jun 2024)

• Education Department looks to expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility (CNBC; 21 Jun 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Eviction cases are spiking. How tenants and housing providers are dealing with the backlog (NPR; 17 Jun 2024)

• Norton Introduces Bill to Provide Funding to Law School Clinics that Provide Pro Bono Services to Veterans (Press Release; 21 Jun 2024)

• Study Shows Eviction ‘Right to Counsel’ Program has Positive Impact in Okla. County (News 9; 20 Jun 2024)

• American Bar Association offers free legal support to Kentucky storm survivors (Louisville Courier Journal; 21 Jun 2024)

• NY Attorneys See AI as Useful Immigration Case Gruntwork Tool (Bloomberg Law; 18 Jun 2024)

• Detroit initiative offers free legal aid to homeowners (Baseline Magazine; 14 Jun 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Six months in, Maine’s first public defenders’ office talks strategy (The Maine Monitor; 15 Jun 2024)

• Shortage of public defenders in Maine allowed release of man who caused fiery standoff (AP; 17 Jun 2024)

• Public defender shortage is a WA crisis that requires local and state action (Tri-City Herald Editorial Board; 18 Jun 2024)

• Public defender case limits per lawyer may reduce if rules change, worrying [Washington State] cities of budget costs to hire more lawyers (Snoho Tribune; 19 Jun 2024)

• [PA] Public defenders using state money for new positions, equipment (Observer-Reporter; 18 Jun 2024)

• [OR] Public Defender Shortage Forces Release Of Some Deschutes Co. Inmates (KBND Newstalk; 17 Jun 2024)

• Oregon Law Set to Receive Nearly $1 Million in Funding for Criminal Defense Clinics (Univ. of Oregon; 14 Jun 2024)

• Attorney shortage hits [IN] public defender, prosecutor's offices (Lafayette Journal & Courier; 17 Jun 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! This week’s major story concerns a bill in Congress with the potential to dramatically affect diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at federal agencies. This story and more are in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• Republicans look to 'dismantle' DEI efforts at federal agencies (Government Executive; 13 Jun 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Iowa Supreme Court rules public may access internal government job applications (Iowa Capital Dispatch; 11 Jun 2024)

• How a Worker-Managed Nonprofit Adjusted to Growth (Nonprofit Quarterly; 12 Jun 2024)

• Southern Poverty Law Center lays off employees amid restructuring (AP; 13 Jun 2024)

• [US] Senate Panel OKs Fix For Federal Courts' 'Genuine Crisis' (Law360; 13 Jun 2024)

• Bill would change how people are appointed to board that oversees public defender offices in North Carolina. Governor would lose pick, as would groups for Black and women lawyers (Winston-Salem Journal; 6 Jun 2024)

• Legal aid lawyers band together in pursuit of better pay and more funding (The Chief; 14 Jun 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• CFPB Takes Legal Action Against PHEAA for Chasing Debt on Discharged Student Loans (The National Law Review; 7 Jun 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Immigrant Justice Corps welcomes over 130 new lawyers to expand access to justice for immigrants (Immigrant Justice Corps PR Newswire; 11 Jun 2024)

• Can generative AI tools make it easier for lawyers to offer pro bono services? (ABA Legal Rebels Podcast; 12 Jun 2024)

• Number of Attorneys in Wisconsin Plummets 4%, Leading to Crisis in Rural Areas (Wisconsin Right Now; 10 Jun 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Santa Clara County [CA] eases proposed budget cuts to district attorney, public defender offices (The Mercury News; 11 Jun 2024)

• Franklin County [OR] to host critical workshop amid public defender shortage (KEPR; 11 Jun 2024)

• [MI] Prosecutor shortages affecting the justice system (WLNS; 12 Jun 2024)

• Pennsylvania’s underfunding of public defenders unconstitutional, ACLU says in suit (Courthouse News Service; 13 Jun 2024)

• Kalispell [MT]’s Public Defender Staffing Levels Remain Stable, Despite Years of Statewide Volatility (Flathead Beacon; 10 Jun 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Lots of stories about public defender staffing and funding this week (and one about prosecutors as well). These stories and more are in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• Recruiting and retaining: Legal aid groups look for ways to keep pace with private firms (The Indiana Lawyer; 5 Jun 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Arab American lawyer sues firm that revoked job offer over Gaza comments (Washington Post; 31 May 2024)

• Standards Are Murky As Legal Employers Vet Protesters (Law360; 3 June 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Student-loan servicer illegally collecting on debt that was discharged in bankruptcy, CFPB alleges (Marketwatch; 31 May 2024)

• DFPI Launches Network to Help Californians Navigate Their Student Loans (California Dept. of Financial Protection & Innovation; 3 Jun 2024)

• Biden's revised student loan debt plan faces new legal challenge in federal court (KDSK [NBC]; 3 Jun 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Social Workers Could Provide Legal Services Under New USU Program (Utah State University; 4 Jun 2024)

• Eviction defense programs reach few Multnomah County tenants in need, study finds (Oregon Public Broadcasting; 3 Jun 2024)

• SDNY Taps Nonprofit To Run Clinic For Pro Se Litigants (Law360; 4 Jun 2024)

• NY Legal Aid Groups Embrace AI, but Cost Concerns Remain (Bloomberg Law; 31 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Pay raises for Wisconsin prosecutors and public defenders have slashed vacancies (Wisconsin State Journal; 31 May 2024)

• Where [The Topeka Capital-Journal] stand[s] on Topeka's homelessness guidance, public defender raises and more (Topeka Capital-Journal; 1 June 2024)

• Public defender shortages [across Pennsylvania] (Penn Today; 3 Jun 2024)

• Bill aimed at assisting [IL] public defenders falls short this spring, backers say they’ll try again in fall (Chicago Tribune; 3 Jun 2024)

• Free lawyers for low-income defendants are in 'crisis,' says New York's top judge (Gothamist; 4 Jun 2024)

• Appellate court affirms ruling, releasing defendants from jail who don’t get public defender (Oregon Public Broadcasting; 31 May 2024)

• Lancaster County [PA] public defender's office awarded $104K state grant for indigent defense (Lancaster Online; 6 Jun 2024)

• [Nevada] Lawmakers urged to stop letting courts charge fees for public defenders (Nevada Current; 2 Jun 2024)

• Can smaller caseloads help Washington fill its public defender ranks? (Washington State Standard; 4 Jun 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Today’s big story concerns a new study on the threat burnout poses in nonprofit spaces. As always, that news and more is in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• Nonprofit Leaders Cite Burnout as a Top Concern in a New Study on the State of U.S. Nonprofits (PR Newswire; 29 May 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• MFJ Union Ratifies Contract Offer, Ending Historic 13-Week Strike (AFL-CIO NYC; 24 May 2024)

• Second Circuit Questions Allowing Debt Counseling by Non-Lawyers (Bloomberg Law; 29 May 2024)

• Wisconsin law that banned collective bargaining for most public employees back in court as unions sue to have it overturned (Fortune; 28 May 2024)

• US law clerks in rare anonymous statement decry 'genocide' in Gaza (Reuters; 29 May 2024)

• NY Legal Aid Groups Embrace AI, but Cost Concerns Remain (Bloomberg Law; 31 May 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Older Workers’ Retirement Security Threatened by Student Debt Hurdles (401k Specialist; 30 May 2024)

• Borrowers Stuck in Student Loan Limbo During Processing Pause (CNET; 30 May 2024)

• 7 Critical Student Loan Forgiveness Dates In 2024 Borrowers Should Know About (Forbes; 30 May 2024)

• Biden extends time frame to get credit toward student loan forgiveness (Fox Business; 29 May 2024)

• Cornell Law School Incentivizes Public Interest Work by Expanding Loan Forgiveness (Findlaw; 23 May 2024)

• As Debt Rises, New Grads More Likely To Pick Law Firm Jobs (Law360; 9 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Stagnant Minimum Pay Eroding DOL’s Ability to Fight Wage Theft (Bloomberg Law; 30 May 2024)

• Fresno city attorney partnering with attorney general for Tenant Protection Act (ABC 30 Action News; 27 May 2024)

• [Florida] Workgroup to Study Uncontested Probate Proceedings (Florida Bar News; 29 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• [Ontario] Province to hire more judges and Crown prosecutors (Bay Today; 30 May 2024)

• St. Louis prosecutor wants to boost staffing, asks for $500K more (St. Louis Post-Dispatch; 31 May 2024)

• New group of public defenders will address attorney shortage in rural, northeast NC (WRAL News; 30 May 2024)

• Dawn Holland in court, but without a lawyer: First high-profile Deschutes County [OR] case to run into public defender shortage (KVTZ; 30 May 2024)

• ‘A state of triage’: Illinois public defenders in crisis amid staffing shortage (Courthouse News Service; 24 May 2024)

  • New Bill Aims to Create Statewide Public Defender Office in Illinois (WTTW Chicago; 28 May 2024)

• Kansas public defenders are overworked and understaffed, according to current standardsf (Topeka Capital-Journal; 25 May 2024)

• Lawyers Argue About Scheduling a Murder Trial Pending Furloughs by Public Defenders (DC Witness; 24 May 2024)

• ACLU of Maine gets court approval to expand its lawsuit against the state for allegedly failing to provide attorneys for low-income defendants (WMTW; 25 May 2024)

• Santa Cruz public defender moves to solidify 'holistic defense' model (Santa Cruz Sentinel; 28 May 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Today’s big story concerns a shortage of lawyers for asylum seekers. As always, that news and more is in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• A New Challenge for Asylum Seekers: Lawyer Shortages (NY Times; 19 May 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Vindicated by Supreme Court, CFPB director says bureau will add staff, consider new rules on banks (AP; 17 May 2024)

• Watchdog agency to crack down on Hatch Act violators, including at the White House (Government Executive; 20 May 2024)

• The Exodus of Everyday Donors Is Bad for America. Here’s How to Stop It. (The Chronicle of Philanthropy; 23 May 2024)

• [US] State Department warns of significant risks due to ongoing budget pressures (Government Executive; 21 May 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Biden administration cancels another $7.7B in student loans (Axios; 22 May 2024)

• 20 state AGs challenging Biden admin's latest student loan relief plan: 'Unconstitutional' (CBS; 20 May 2024)

• [MA] AG Campbell Urges Department of Education To Provide Debt Relief To Federal Student Loan Borrowers (MA Office of the Attorney General; 20 May 2024)

• Progressives push Biden administration to cut ties with Missouri student loan servicer (Kentucky Lantern; 23 May 2024)

• CFPB Enters Consent Order Over Student Loan Debt Relief Services (JD Supra; 24 May 2024)

• Just 22% of Americans say college is worth it if you have to take out student loans (CNBC; 23 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Eviction mediation can save lives. Here's how one Columbus group helps tenants, landlords (Columbus Dispatch; 23 May 2024)

• Legal aid nonprofit says it can lower SF homelessness (SF Examiner; 24 May 2024)

• Immigrant advocates rally for pro-immigrant NYC budget, legislation (Caribbean Life; 22 May 2024)

• ‘Heartbreaking’: Newsom’s budget plan would slash legal services for immigrants (San Francisco Chronicle; 21 May 2024)

• Right To Counsel In Eviction Cases: A Public Health Imperative (Health Affairs; 17 May 2024)

• Additional funding for Nova Scotia Legal Aid and other Province House news (Halifax Examiner; 17 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Illinois needs public defender reform. Is a new state bill the right step? (Prism Reports; 23 May 2024)

  • [IL] Advocates continue to push for statewide public defender office, despite lack of movement in the Cap (WCIA; 22 May 2024)

• Louisiana Is Slashing Public Defender Salaries (Esquire; 24 May 2024)

• [South Dakota] Commission to Hire Chief Defender to Lead New Office of Indigent Legal Services (SD Unified Judicial System; 22 May 2024)

• [Pennsylvania] PCCD Increasing Funding For Public Defenders (Butler Radio; 22 May 2024)

• Stanislaus public defense is among most understaffed, overworked in [California] Central Valley, report says (The Modesto; 21 May 2024)

• Budget hearing highlights attorney shortage on Guam, pay raises at Public Defender's office (Pacific Daily News; 22 May 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! I’m back in DC after a very interesting week in Detroit. Major stories this week include a lot of issues of US federal policy. Whistleblower accounts from within the company servicing public service student loans about their treatment of borrowers and from within the State Department and USAID about US policy on Gaza. The CFPB’s funding structure survived a challenge at the Supreme Court, and Government Executive suggested that the Biden Administration’s immigration policy may require a significant increase in staffing. As always, these stories and more are in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• University of Georgia pulls out of ‘Cop City’ lawsuit requesting public records; Dean of law school orders first amendment clinic to curtail core work, including on Atlanta Police Foundation case (The Guardian; 17 May 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Joe Biden has done more than arm Israel. Leaked documents reveal his own officials see him as complicit in Gaza’s devastating famine (The Independent; 14 May 2024)

  • ‘We are more complicit:’ Biden’s Israel policies spur feds to protest at the White House (Government Executive; 15 May 2024)

• Multnomah County [Oregon] prosecutors’ union concerned about comments district attorney made about challenger (OPB; 16 May 2024)

• US federal judges boycott Columbia University graduates over handling of campus protests (Canadian Lawyer; 16 May 2024)

• Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Consumer Watchdog's Funding (New York Times; 16 May 2024)

• The larger the nonprofit, the more likely it is run by a white man, says new Candid diversity report (AP; 16 May 2024)

• Over Two Dozen Labor Unions, Civil Rights Groups, and Public Interest Advocates Endorse New York’s BOT Act (Center for Democracy & Technology; 16 May 2024)

• Seattle Public Defender's $7M Employment Win Wiped Out (Law360; 14 May 2024)

• Gaza and Charities at War: Would Nonprofit Trustees Violate Fiduciary Duties by Israeli Divestment? (Nonprofit Law Prof Blog; 15 May 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Student loan forgiveness: Deadline extended to consolidate certain loans (Cox Media Group; 16 May 2024)

• A top student loan company allegedly told staff to keep borrowers on hold (The Street; 14 May 2024)

• Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan comment period is ending. Here's what people are saying. (Market Watch; 17 May 2024)

• Student Loan Interest Rates To Soar Above 6.5%—The Highest Level In More Than 15 Years (Forbes; 16 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Is Biden’s new immigration rule doomed without more staffing? (Government Executive; 13 May 2024)

• Nova Scotia Legal Aid receives funding to attract more private lawyers (CBC; 16 May 2024)

• [New York City] Public defenders call on judge to dismiss landlord suit brought against court system (Queens Eagle; 15 May 2024)

• Lawmakers look to lock legal services fund after [NY] gov’s sweep (Queens Eagle; 15 May 2024)

• Immigrant Services Face Cuts Under Latest Proposed California Budget (LAist; 15 May 2024)

• Nova Scotia Legal Aid increasing wages for certificate lawyers (Saltwire; 16 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• [Indiana] Program restarts state reimbursement for public defenders' misdemeanor cases (The Journal Gazette; 17 May 2024)

• Illinois legislators try again on statewide public defender legislation (Chicago Tribune; 14 May 2024)

• New report: Allegheny County [PA] indigent defense system needs ‘fundamental overhaul’ (90.5 WESA; 16 May 2024)

• Michigan's public defender system was among the worst in the country. Now it's a national model (Lansing State Journal; 15 May 2024)

• Do Utah youth get a good defense in court? The Gault Center report emphasized high-level reform through changing pay structures and analyzing the system regularly to ensure fairness (Deseret News; 15 May 2024)

Prosecutorial and Public Defense Office Hiring Crises

• Report reveals Pennsylvania lags in public defender staffing (Fox43 News; 15 May 2024)

• Santa Clara County DA, public defender forewarn trouble from proposed budget cuts (The Mercury News; 16 May 2024)

Criminal Legal Reform & Counter-Reform

• Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price goes on offensive, vows to defeat recall effort (The Mercury News; 16 May 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! I’ve been at ABA EJC; it’s been an interesting time and I’m glad to have seen a few of you here! Meanwhile, the news swims on. Here’s a bit of what I’ve caught.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• Seeing the University More Clearly (Law & Political Economy Blog; 7 May 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• A CBO report raises new questions about Biden’s 2% pay raise plan (Government Executive; 7 May 2024)

• Nonprofit Legal Service Workers in New York City Strike for a Fair Contract (Nonprofit Quarterly; 8 May 2024)

• Columbia Law backs its graduates after conservative judges said they won’t hire them (The Hill; 7 May 2024)

• NYC Law Department invests in bar retakers, yields results for the city (Brooklyn Eagle; 10 May 2024)

• Meet the lawyer who's trying to flag judges who harass their clerks (NPR; 10 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Chiefs of Ontario allege unequal access to justice in lawsuit (CBC; 7 May 2024)

• Liberals say underpaid lawyers in [Nova Scotia] are refusing legal aid work (Haligonia.ca; 10 May 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• New [VA] Public Defender Office Will Start Up Soon (Daily News Record; 9 May 2024)

Prosecutorial and Public Defense Office Hiring Crises

• [WA] Public defender crisis will only get worse if things don't change according to State Bar (NBC; 7 May 2024)

• Deschutes County [OR] judge speaks out on ‘very concerning’ public defender shortage; seven defendants released so far (KTVZ; 7 May 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! It’s been the kind of week where decades happen. Some of the news of that decade is below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• In Defense of the Right to Free Speech and Peaceful Protest on University Campuses (American Association of University Professors; 29 Apr 2024)

Student Debt and Student Loans

• Big Student Loan Servicing Upheaval Will Impact Forgiveness, Repayment For Millions (Forbes; 2 May 2024)

• What borrowers need to know as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program goes on a partial processing pause (CNBC; 3 May 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• MFJ UNION STRIKE HITS TEN-WEEK MILESTONE, MARKING LONGEST NYC LEGAL SERVICES WALKOUT SINCE 1991 (AFL-CIO NYC CLC; 3 May 2024)

• House GOP’s ‘discriminatory’ funding change draws ire of Democrats, nonprofits (The Hill; 1 May 2024)

• Texas Southern University’s Law School Responds To State’s DEI Job Cuts (HBCU Buzz; 29 Apr 2024)

• Young people think federal jobs are beneficial, but don't want them (Government Executive; 29 Apr 2024)

• Gaza and Charities at War: Tax Exemption and Civil Disobedience (Nonprofit Law Prof Blog; 29 Apr 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• [Nova Scotia] Legal Aid Demand Rises Amid Rate Freeze (Liberal.ns.ca; 2 May 2024)

• SEATTLE ALLOCATES $200K TO BOOST LEGAL AID FOR MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS AMID SURGE (Hoodline; 3 May 2024)

• San Francisco Right to Counsel Program Prevents Hundreds of Evictions (Planetizen; 30 Apr 2024)

• Attorneys General Unite to Advocate for Legal Services Corporation Funding (Franklin County Free Press; 30 Apr 2024)

• Idaho Innocence Project suspending their legal services, for now (KIVITV; 29 Apr 2024)

• More Litigation Funding Rules Would Threaten Access to Justice (Bloomberg Law; 30 Apr 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• DETENTION HEARINGS WITHOUT LAWYERS: AN ANALYSIS OF INITIAL CRIMINAL COURT HEARINGS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS (ACLU TX; 30 Apr 2024)

Prosecutorial and Public Defense Office Hiring Crises

• After-hours public defender shortage a ‘safety concern,’ Rosendale [NY] police chief says (Daily Freeman; 2 May 2024)

• Editorial: Small steps to fix [OR]'s public defender shortage (Bend Bulletin; 3 May 2024)

• Overworked, understaffed, underpaid: Public defender system at the verge of crisis, panel told (Arkansas Online; 28 Apr 2024)

Criminal Legal Reform & Counterreform

• Protestors Rally Against Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon (KABC; 29 Apr 2024)

• Public defenders should be part of the conversation about public safety (Louisiana Illuminator; 30 Apr 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! It’s been a busy week for those of you who’ve joined us at NALP’s Annual Education Conference in Boston. Meanwhile, the world outside our convention hall has been marching along. You can catch up on public service news in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Student Debt and Student Loans

• No, federal loan forgiveness will not be reported to the IRS as income, for now (KHOU 11; 18 Apr 2024)

• Those with student loan debt are being forced to delay life events, report finds (CNN Newsource; 17 Apr 2024)

• Senators Schumer, Warren celebrate Biden student loans forgiveness (The Hill; 12 Apr 2024)

• Biden unveils draft rule for his latest student debt relief plan (Politico; 16 Apr 2024)

• The fate of student debt forgiveness will once again lie with the Supreme Court (The Hill; 13 Apr 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• With job on the line, CT's chief defender faces charges of mistreating employees, dishonesty (CT Insider; 12 Apr 2024)

  • Conn.'s top public defender denies misconduct claims as commission debates firing her (The Day; 16 Apr 2024)

• Utah’s anti-DEI law ‘lights a fire’ under nonprofits as public resources stand to dismantle (The Salt Lake Tribune; 18 Apr 2024)

• Some concerned University of Michigan proposed policy on protests could quell free speech efforts (CBS News; 14 Apr 2024)

• Judicial Branch Employees Have No Rights At Work. The Judiciary Accountability Act Could Change That (Balls and Strikes; 15 Apr 2024)

• U.S. Supreme Court Provides Test For Protected Speech On Government Official's Social Media Pages (Mondaq; 15 Apr 2024)

• Empower tribal justice; retiring DOJ official says (AP; 15 Apr 2024)

• Knight Institute Comments on Arrests of Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters at Columbia University (Knight First Amendment Institute at Colubmia University; 18 Apr 2024)

• The Israel-Hamas War Is Tearing Nonprofits Apart. But Some Are Bridging Staff Divides (The Chronicle of Philanthropy; 15 Apr 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Legal aid funding, auto theft crack down and redistribution of judgeships feature in federal budget (Law360 Canada; 16 Apr 2024)

• Gov. Hochul’s plan to divert escrow funds risks essential legal aid for needy New Yorkers (Brooklyn Eagle; 18 Apr 2024)

• Right to Counsel Program seeks to reduce eviction rates in Oklahoma County (KGOU; 12 Apr 2024)

• BYU Law Students Introduce Automation Platforms to Streamline Divorce Documents and Court-Assigned Community Service (BYU Law; 16 Apr 2024)

• People without lawyers are an early focus of new state court access group (South Dakota Searchlight; 16 Apr 2024)

• Notre Dame [IN] law students offer free legal help with sealing evictions (South Bend Tribune; 10 Apr 2024)

• The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states (Vox; 15 Apr 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Public defenders pushback on bill that would increase time to charge detainee (KUAM News; 19 Apr 2024)

• Efforts underway for [IL] statewide public defender system to ‘even legal playing field’ (Advantage News; 17 Apr 2024)

• EXCLUSIVE: WA cities warn reduced public defender caseload limits could result in dismissed cases, budget cuts (The Post Millennial; 12 APr 2024)

Prosecutorial and Public Defense Office Hiring Crises

• [Greene County NY] Officials change residency requirement for assistant public defenders (Hudson Valley 360; 19 Apr 2024)

Criminal Legal Reform & Counterreform

• Another progressive Bay Area prosecutor faces a recall vote; Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is fighting for her political life (Politico; 15 Apr 2024)

• The race for Pa. attorney general is all about Larry Krasner (Philadelphia Inquirer; 16 Apr 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Hope you’re all doing alright. Looking forward to seeing some of you next week in Boston for NALP’s Annual Education Conference! The digest is a bit late this week; hopefully it’ll make good train/plane reading for those of you heading to Boston.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• UNIONIZED NYC LEGAL WORKERS HOLD LONGEST STRIKE IN OVER TWO DECADES (UAW; 9 Apr 2024)

Student Debt and Student Loans

• Inside Elizabeth Warren’s crusade against the company that foiled Biden’s student debt relief plan (Courier Newsroom; 11 Apr 2024)

• Biden Cancels $7 Billion in Student Debt in Election-Year Push (Bloomberg; 12 Apr 2024)

• US appeals court bars Biden's debt relief for students defrauded by colleges (Reuters; 5 Apr 2024)

• Missouri Attorney General leads coalition challenging Biden student debt relief (Missouri Independent; 9 Apr 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• OPM finalizes reforms to federal internship programs (Government Executive; 11 Apr 2024)

• Jewish legal aid lawyers sue NYC union over criticism of Israel (Reuters; 11 Apr 2024)

• The Coming Attacks on Nonprofits (The Chronicle of Philanthropy (1 Apr 2024)

• CT agency to hold open hearing on state's embattled chief public defender (Hartford Courant; 10 Apr 2024)

• Government Hiring is Boosting US Job Growth (Fitch Ratings; 11 Apr 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Saskatchewan expanding law student placements in name of access to justice (Law360 Canada; 10 Apr 2024)

• Law Society of BC to be disbanded under new legislation (Delta Optimist; 12 Apr 2024)

  • B.C. introduces legislation on legal profession reform; law society, bar association opposed (Law360 Canada; 11 Apr 2024)

• P.E.I. increases legal aid eligibility thresholds (Law360 Canada; 5 Apr 2024)

• Access To Court Records Should Be Free For Everyone (Above the Law; 10 Apr 2024)

• HUD funds [Iowa] Legal Aid to enforce Fair Housing Act (Oelwein Daily Register; 6 Apr 2024)

• Pandemic legal aid funding to end for Michigan renters (WILX 10; 9 Apr 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• [IL] Senate President Don Harmon Proposes Statewide Office to Support Public Defender System (Chicago Tribune; 7 Apr 2024)

Prosecutorial and Public Defense Office Hiring Crises

• Delaware sets public hearings on salary increases (The Daily Star; 11 Apr 2024)

• The Impact of Underfunding on Justice: A Deep Dive into Budget Constraints and Their Ripple Effects from District Attorney Linda Stanley (Ocean City NY Daily; 8 Apr 2024)