By Jamie Bence

Many public interest minded students (and students in general) are concerned with keeping their loans to a minimum. Law school is expensive, but there are things you can do to minimize the amount of money you lay out each month, with a little thought and effort. This list is by no means comprehensive, but here are a few thoughts about back to school shopping (geared towards new students).

Things You Really Need

A Good Computer: I say this first because it was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with. But a good computer is worth spending money on. While you probably already spend a lot of time on your computer, it will grow exponentially in law school. With any luck, you will also be able to take your exams (and ultimately the bar) on your laptop. One of the most stressful things that can happen is that you get a virus, experience a hard drive failure, or in some way physically damage your computer while you’re in the midst of the semester. While it might seem tempting to go with a lower end machine, this is one area where spending a bit more could pay off in the long run, financially and psychologically. On that note, you might also want a protection plan- no one likes to get an unexpected, high bill from tech support in the middle of the semester!

Decent Gear: Casebooks do not lend themselves to travelling in a chic shoulder bag, especially if you are facing a considerable commute. Especially during 1L year, your days will be long. You will probably want to bring at least a snack if not your lunch with you, along with any books or study aids that you will be taking back and forth. Your mp3 player, a good water bottle and decent headphones will also go a long way to making your more comfortable at school. No one looks cool while they are trying to figure out offensive non-mutual collateral estoppel, so I’d recommend setting aside your expectations and choosing something functional.

Comfortable, but nice, clothing: It varies among schools, but for the most part, people look put together in law school classes, more so than most undergrads. It’s not fun to endure a cold call in front of 75 people while you’re wearing your pajama pants and a college sweatshirt (trust me, this happened once). However, you don’t want to wear dress or work clothes every day either, because it’s simply not conducive to long hours in the library. If you don’t have much between the suits you wear to interviews and the grungy t-shirts you only wear to the grocery store, it might be wise to get a few things when they’re on sale.

Study Aids: Yes, they are expensive. Yes, you just spent a fortune on textbooks. But you will want these (not as many as some people buy, but you will need some commercial outlines). However, you can get them for cheaper than you think. Consider how much the newer editions have really changed (you can usually find information about this in the reviews of online booksellers’ websites, and from upperclassmen). Also, figure out what your library has available. I really enjoyed audio lectures, which were available to check out on reserve at my library, load onto my iPod, and listen to. Libraries also often keep practice exams (truly the best preparation you can get) available on file or online, available to you for free. Balance how much time you will be willing to spend using the study aids for free in the library with the extra cost of having your own copy at home. I’ll do a  separate post on this in a few weeks.

Things You Might Get By Without

Word Processing Software: Often students purchase this after they have already dropped quite a hefty sum on a new computer. A lot of people are just as well off using OpenOffice. It has quirks, so I would recommend downloading and installing it early so that you can get the hang of it long before your first memo is due, and make sure it works for your program. The only major problem with this software is that there is no compatible track changes function- so if you are going back and forth on drafts, it might prove insufficient. However, I’ve used it since college and have never had a problem.

Netbook or Tablet: Many people in law school have both a primary computer and a tablet. I do, and it is helpful. However, my netbook was around for a long time before school started (and my income disappeared). It’s certainly nice to have a light, small computer in my bag instead of my large lap top, but it’s not essential. Since tablets are often geared towards web browsing and apps, they can be a distraction. Moreover, when I work on major assignments and outlines, I feel that I need to bring my full size computer anyway (towards the end of the semester, the larger computer comes with me every day). So consider how much you will use a smaller computer before you buy.

Lots of Office Supplies: Many people buy a wealth of post its, flashcards and large notebooks before they start school, only to find that they do everything on their computers, or prefer to take notes in the margins of their case briefs. Ideally, you will go to class with a lot of notes already sketched out on the pre-assigned topic. I took 90% of my notes during 1L year on paper that I had already printed on. This helped me keep everything in one place, and probably saved a few trees. Moreover, you might find that making flashcards online is easier for you (and free- paper flashcards are surprisingly expensive). There’s nothing wrong with using a lot of office supplies if you are willing to pay for them, but think about how you will actually study and be open to trying something new before you buy.

Printer: This cuts both ways. At some schools, printing is expensive and can be a nightmare when all 1L’s have their assignments due. The last thing you want is to be down to the last minute with your law review write-on submission, only to be thwarted because there was a jam in the machine and all the other printers were busy. However, you might also find that there are other places (work, another site on campus, a local library) that work well for printing. I’d check out the options at your school before dropping money on a printer (and remember that ink isn’t cheap!).

Overall, I would recommend waiting a few weeks before you buy too much “law school stuff.” You will get into a groove quickly and realize what you need. And all-in-all, shopping will probably be one of the less stressful things this semester.

By Jamie Bence

Welcome back! Today’s job comes from Carson City, NV, where the Supreme Court of that state seeks a staff attorney.

The Criminal Division of the Nevada Supreme Court’s Central Legal Staff is accepting applications for a staff attorney position.  Under the direction of the court and the Legal Counsel for the Criminal Division, staff attorneys in the Criminal Division assist the court in resolving motions and screening for jurisdiction in criminal appeals, advise the court regarding all types of criminal appeals and writ petitions through written memoranda or oral presentations, and prepare written dispositions for the court in criminal appeals and writ petitions.  Staff attorneys must possess superior legal research, writing, and oral presentation skills, must be flexible, and must be capable of working independently. This position is located in Carson City, Nevada.

For the complete listing, check PSLawNet (login required).

By Jamie Bence

It’s that time again! Please note that a very similar job to this one is located in KIND’s DC office, but in an effort to be geographically diverse, I’ve selected the New York listing.

KIND seeks a Supervising Attorney for Pro Bono Programs to help manage and oversee the provision of pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied children through KIND’s network of major law firms and corporate partners in New York, NY. This includes supervising the work and staff of KIND’s office in New York; serving as a regional focal point in striving to implement KIND’s vision of ensuring that no child appear in immigration court alone; promoting volunteer support through outreach to and cultivation of relationships with local law firms, corporate legal departments, and other possible sources of pro bono representation; and serving as the primary liaison between KIND’s headquarters and its offices in New York.

The Supervising Attorney does not provide direct legal representation to unaccompanied children but will be responsible for facilitating their pro bono representation. He or she will report to KIND’s National Legal Services Director.

To view the complete job listing, click here (login required).

By Jamie Bence

The July 2011 issue of Reason – a popular, libertarian-leaning publication – features an article about the ailing public defender system in the United States, which, according to the article, often does a disservice to both attorneys and their clients. Clay Conrad, a private practice criminal defense attorney, draws on personal experience and studies which show that too often, public defenders are forced to take on too many cases with too few resources.

As a result, Conrad argues, public defenders are predictably forced to triage, accepting plea deals where practical and putting more time into cases they believe they can win. This system, according to the author, is far from ideal:

But it is not always easy to know which cases are the hopeless ones if all you do is read the offense report and spend a few minutes talking to the defendant and the prosecutor. Without putting in the time required to investigate the facts, the law, and the witnesses, it is unethical to recommend that a client accept a plea bargain. Maybe the offer represents the best possible result, but maybe the client is completely innocent and just too frightened to disagree.

Conrad also details how, in contrast to private defense attorneys, public defenders often lack the resources to run scientific tests that could prove their clients’ innocence. Moreover, he describes a sort of quid pro quo scenario, in which appointed criminal defense lawyers must retain a rapport with judges and court staff, and might find their appointments jeopardized if they represent a client too zealously- spending long hours on the case or requesting expensive tests.

Finally, Conrad concedes, good criminal defense is expensive, and “O.J. Simpson-style litigation” is not appropriate or even necessary in every case, but there is a middle ground in which most trials are won and lost:

I would, however, expect that before the taxpayers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to incarcerate one of their neighbors for years, branding him virtually unemployable for life and making him part of America’s permanent undercaste, they would want to ensure that he had a competent lawyer, with adequate resources and adequate time to do everything possible within the law to help his client. It is not an extravagance to make sure that before a man’s life is destroyed or taken from him, his defense has fully tested every element of the government’s case. The cost of an adequate defense pales against the cost of incarcerating an innocent man.

To read the full article on Reason, click here.

By Jamie Bence

I think the thing I remember most about the summer before law school is the anticipation- waiting to find out who my professors would be, what my schedule would look like, whether I’d like my classmates. I’m not a fan of the unknown, so it was a weirdly stressful time for me. Looking back, I wish I’d worried less and listened more. Here are 5 things I wish I’d known about law school before I walked through the doors on my first day.

1. The work is never “finished,” per se. In theory, law school could literally take up all of your time. With an endless array of study aids, practice exams and then of course your actual assignments, it can seem like you should be working 24/7. However, letting law school take over isn’t exactly healthy, or even helpful, so it’s important to find balance. For me, this meant treating school like a job. I got there early, worked between classes, and left around the time most of my friends were commuting home from their office jobs. This way, I could still enjoy my evenings, even if I occasionally had assignments to finish up. On weekends, I got up early and worked while most of my friends slept in. It wasn’t exactly what you would call fun, but being able to have time with important people in my life was important enough to me that I stuck to it.

2.  Not everyone is as excited about this as you are. If you have a supportive group of family and friends, they will probably want to know about your experiences in law school, and what your day-to-day life is like, and what classes you’re taking. However, around week 3, you will be into material very few people outside of the legal industry really know (or want to know) anything about. Thus, while it’s fun to share anecdotes and keep your friends and family in the proverbial loop, it’s also important to keep perspective especially if you are living with a partner or parent, for there will only be so much they want to hear about your new adventure. Which brings me to my next point.

3. Find Hermione and Ron. Law school can be incredibly competitive, and sometimes it might seem counter-intuitive to talk to your classmates about what you’re going through. For the first month, I heard all sorts of crazy stories, and thought maybe I was better off just sticking with the friends I had before this whole thing started. However, I soon realized I wasn’t going to get too far without a group of people I could trust and talk to, and that having a 3L mentor was incredibly helpful. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed and lost, and you will need to commiserate. There will also be the occasional flat tire, the job interview during class, and you will need people who will give you accurate and complete notes. It’s never a bad idea to lean more toward Hermione than Ron under such circumstances.

4.   Study guides are your friends, if you choose wisely.  When I was first told that almost everyone uses study aids in law school, I thought, “Are you kidding me? I’ve never touched CliffNotes in my life!” However, in law school, rather than serving as a way around the hard work, study aids make the hard work doable. When selecting study guides, think about how you learn best. For example, I really like audio lectures a lot, even though they are not widely popular (I run and I take the train, so I have a lot of time to listen to them).  There’s no shame in that- just because something doesn’t work for everyone (or because it does) doesn’t mean you will have the same result. So think about how you learn (and consider the materials carefully) before you buy.

5.  Study smart not (necessarily) hard. There is a lot of “conventional” advice on how to approach 1L year. Everyone told me that I would be lost in class if I didn’t brief cases. I did this for exactly one week before I realized how it didn’t really help me understand the cases or rules. I also realized there were people on law review who never made an outline, who never wrote briefs. They learn differently and they have succeeded because they have unlocked what has worked for them, probably through trial and error. So I stopped briefing, because it was boring and I wasn’t paying attention when I was doing it anyway. It’s all a matter of figuring out what works for you. My advice would be to consider all the advice you’re given (maybe even this post…) then let it all go, and just be you.

If you will be starting your 1L year in August, good luck, and until then, have a relaxing summer!

Greetings, Dear Readers, and  Happy Friday!  Having returned from the Equal Justice Conference, which featured some terrific programming and offered important insights about trends affecting the legal services and pro bono communities, I give you this week’s Bulletin.  Two quick pieces of personal business before we dive in:

1. I wish to thank my colleauge Lauren Forbes for producing a great Bulletin last week.
2. Happy belated birthday to my friends Bob Glaves and Kelly Tautges of the Chicago Bar Foundation.  I can think of no more distinguished way to pass along birthday well-wishes.    

This week’s edition is brimming over with news and developments from all corners of the public interest legal world.  To wit:

• 5.25.11 – writing in the National Law Journal, Stacy Caplow, director of clinical legal education at Brooklyn Law School, offers a solution to the “crisis” in the immigration system: a corps of law grads doing two years of service as immigration attorneys.  In laying out the system’s myriad problems, Prof. Caplow offers a startling statistic: as for immigrants in the NY area, “a nondetained immigrant represented by a lawyer had a 74% chance of avoiding deportation, whereas a detained immigrant without counsel had only a 3% rate of success.”  Wow.  Caplow’s solution: [L]et’s create a structured program for…law graduates to provide legal services to poor, unrepresented immigrants while developing skills and knowledge to improve the level of competency of the immigration bar….  We could call it Immig-Corps. I picture recent law graduates being trained and supervised over a period of two years, going to detention centers, to immigration court, interviewing, counseling and representing individuals facing deportation.”  Read the full piece for discussion of how to fund the program.  I’ve got some thoughts on these such proposals – not the least of which is apprehension about the risk of downward pressure on already-low public interest attorney salaries.  But that must wait for a longer blog post.

• 5.25.11 – barristers’ brawl? counselors’ combat?  Well, it started in a scuffle and ended in a lawsuit.  The Chicago Tribune has run a short piece about a lawsuit coming in the aftermath of a courthouse scuffle between a prosecutor and a public defender in Chi-town: “A fight last year between a Cook County prosecutor and a public defender has turned into a legal battle.  Michael McCormick, who was working as a Cook County assistant state’s attorney at the time, alleges in a lawsuit that Henry Hams, who was working as a public defender, followed him out of a courtroom in June 2010, threatened him and then jumped on his back and neck — twisting his neck and causing him to fall to the ground.”

• 5.25.11 – Good news: New York State’s Interest on Lawyers Account (IOLA) fund got a hefty cash infusion.  Bad news: very little of it comes from interest proceeds.  From the New York Law Journal: “The state’s Interest on Lawyer Account fund is making the same $21.3 million in grants for civil legal services to the indigent [this year compared to last], thanks to another infusion of funding from the courts.”  Interest proceeds remain down by 75% compared to 2007 levels.  Of the $21.3 million, only $6.5 represents interest proceeds.  The remaining $15 million is an a appropriation from the judiciary’s budget.  But to end on another good note: “In addition to the $15 million funneled through IOLA, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman included another $12.5 million in the state budget to support civil legal services.”  Judge Lippman presently holds the coveted title of “PSLawNet Blog’s Favorite State Jurist.”

• 5.24.1 – according to the Blog of the Legal Times, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales expressed “disappointment” in himself stemming from a scandal around political vetting of attorneys and law students who were competing for (non-political-appoinment) positions with DOJ.

• 5.24.11 – also according to the Blog of the Legal Times, the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Corporation (CFTC) are looking for some ESQs are various experience levels.  SEC has even retained a headhunter because it’s trying to quickly fill several openings.

• 5.24.11 – it looks like prosecutors in Berkeley will see some more funding from the county.  Huzzah!  After all, someone has to bring Swift Justice to all those good-for-nothing, commune-living, dope-smoking hippie rapscallions…wait…oh…Berkeley, South Carolina.  Our bad.  In any case, the Berkeley Independent reports: “Berkeley County Council has included funding to help assist the solicitor and public defender’s offices in its fiscal year 2011-2012 budget that will be presented to council next month.  Included in the budget is funding that would help Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson recoup more than $140,000 that was cut from her office’s budget due to the discontinuation of grants from the Department of Justice and the state’s Department of Public Safety.  Also included in the budget is $115,000 earmarked for the public defender’s office.  Without the funding, it is estimated that the county’s public defender’s office would have to close for two months next year or lay off two of its five attorneys.”

• 5.23.11 – the Newark Star-Ledger reports that funding cuts on several fronts are decimating Legal Services of New Jersey: “The pool of available lawyers at Legal Services of New Jersey, which provides attorneys in civil cases for people at or below the poverty level, began to shrink just as the number of cases reached an all-time high.  Over the past three years, nearly 300 of its 703 attorneys have been let go, said Melville D. Miller Jr., president of Legal Services of New Jersey.”  For LSNJ, it’s been the bad funding news trifecta: IOLTA funds are way down, as are state and federal funds.  Some potential good news: state lawmakers are looking at emergency solutions to help shore up funding. 

• 5.223.11 – stagnant salaries are leading to attorney retention troubles for one Arizona prosecutor.  From to the Arizona Daily Star: Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall has seen so many resignations and retirements over the past three years that 64 percent of her prosecutors have five years’ or less experience in the courtroom.  As with most county employees, LaWall’s staff hasn’t seen a raise in nearly four years, causing many to leave…. Pima County [which is the Tucson area] records indicate the 29 prosecutors hired at $57,000 between 2006 and 2009 are making roughly the same as the nine hired within the last year.”  The $57K starting salary is actually a solid figure, comfortably over the median, national starting prosecutor’s salary of $50K that NALP reported in 2010.  Nevertheless, the attrition of mid-level attorneys is double trouble: not only is the office losing folks who should move into leadership positions, it is also losing on the investment it made in training those attorneys.

• 5.23.11 – Las Vegas-based KLAS has a brief story about apparent underfunding in the local District Attorney’s Office: “While crime is at 2011 levels, the number of Deputy DA’s are at 2000 levels…. The DA’s Office handles all the cases coming through the Regional Justice Center, while the Public Defender’s Office handles around 40 percent. The DA’s say they’re concerned budget cuts prevented them from hiring new attorneys over the past three years, while the Public Defender’s Office continues to grow.”  Leaving aside the fact that a straight-up comparison of prosecutor and public defender funding is apples and oranges, we do hope that the District Attorney can address staffing problems.

• 5.22.11 – Terra Haute Tribune Star: http://tribstar.com/news/x433425464/Public-defenders-there-to-help-defendants-in-need

• 5.21.11 – a blurb in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (great name!) notes that the Texas… – http://lubbockonline.com/business/2011-05-21/business-bulletin-board

• 5.20.11 – writing in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, LSC board chair John Levi and board member Father Pius Pietrzyk argue that, now more than ever, adequately funding LSC is vital to ensuring access to justice for vastly increased numbers of low-income Americans, including Virginians.  LSC’s FY2011 appropriation included a cut of $15.8 million.  This cut’s timing was, well, very bad.  “LSC estimates that the number of people who qualify for civil legal assistance has increased by 17 percent since 2008. These Americans live at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline — an income of $27,938 for a family of four. More than one million Virginians are eligible for LSC-funded services — almost 14 percent of the state’s population.”

• 5.20.11 – Yoder to the Associated Press: “Mistaken your views on funding cuts are!”  (World’s worst Star Wars reference?  Very, very likely.)  Dave Yoder is the executive director of Legal Aid of East Tennessee.  In a letter to the editor of the Knoxville XXXXXX, Yoder takes issue with an AP article that seemed to minimize the impact of recent federal budget cuts, particularly as regards programs helping the poor: “The article fails to point out that the cut in LSC funding was more than 5 percent…. The article fails to recognize that current federal funding is less than half of what it was, when adjusted for inflation, in 1981.  The article fails to point out that funding to LAET from Department of Housing and Urban Development for unlawful foreclosure and eviction prevention and from Department of Justice for domestic violence prevention has also been cut either directly or by the elimination of stimulus funding. The personal, social and economic short and long-term impact will be much greater on low income citizens and on our communities than suggested.”

• 5.18.11 – the Shelby County Star reports on potential funding cuts for indigent defense programs in the Tarheel State: http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/teddy-55346-face-hour.html

Need a job or internship? During the last week PSLawNet has posted: 75 new attorney positions, 48 new internships, and 24 new law related opportunities. Additionally, there are currently 1,137 active opportunities in our job database. To search the database visit PSLawNet.

Featured New Positions:

The Kentucky Equal Justice Center seeks an attorney with experience in health care law and policy and demonstrated commitment to public interest advocacy as our new Health Law Fellow.  The Health Law Fellow will work as a multi-forum advocate on a policy agenda for low income Kentuckians through:

• Policy research and advocacy:  researching policy opportunities and best practices for health care coverage, access and quality; analyzing and commenting on state and federal proposals; preparing briefing papers on promising options and current issues.
• Communications and coalition building:  participating in state and national networks focused on health; providing policy support to Kentucky public interest partners; communicating with decision-makers and the public on new developments and proposals.
• Litigation:  filing selected cases with a focus on health care eligibility, cost, quality and coverage.

Applications are being accepted through January 27, 2011.  Visit PSLawNet for full details.

The University of North Carolina Center for Civil Rights is seeking summer interns to work under the direct supervision of the Center’s Senior Managing Attorney Mark Dorosin; Staff Attorney Elizabeth Haddix, and Attorney Fellows Benita Jones and Peter Gilbert, on a variety of civil rights issues including: public school desegregation and integration;  equitable and adequate public school funding; municipal inclusion; fair housing; and land retention.  The deadline to apply is February 12, 2011.  Check PSLawNet for additional details and application instructions.

Featured Public Service Career Resource:

Have an interview?  Make sure you go well prepared . . . Take a look at PSLawNet’s Interviewing Tips for Post-Graduate Jobs. Here are just a few as a teaser:

• Do mock interviews. Participating in mock interviews (which can be set up through your career services office) will help you identify areas which may require more preparation and calm your nerves by giving you a sense of how an actual interview will progress.
• Think broadly when researching the employer organization. Many job seekers research employer organizations’ websites and memorize facts/figures (“there are so many attorneys on staff, so many in this particular unit, etc.”). These facts are certainly useful, but remember to step back and look at the larger public interest community in which the employer operates: who it collaborates with, how it is funded, whether it has a longer-term strategic plan, etc.
• Good interview questions. Always be prepared to ask the interviewer questions. Below are some examples:
  • How did your interviewer get to their job?
  • What do they find to be the most challenging facet of their work?
  • What are three things they find rewarding about their work?
  • What attributes are required to successfully do the job you’re applying for? (This may present a chance to further sell yourself by noting that you possess them.)
  • What is the supervisory structure for your position?

Last week we covered news of law students providing pro bono services to clients in under-served areas.  This week, we’ve come across a few articles covering the good work of students through clinical programs:

• The National Law Journal reports that the University of Michigan Law School ” has received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of State to establish a human trafficking clinic at the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Académica de Derecho, a law school located in north central Mexico. The Mexican clinic is an offshoot of the human trafficking clinic that Michigan launched in 2009, which was the first of its kind in the United States.”  It’s an interesting approach to addressing a problem – human trafficking – that by definition defies international border controls, while at the same time exposing the Michigan and the Mexican law school’s students to transnational practice issues.
• According to the Charlottesville Daily Progress, two students in the University of Virginia School of Law’s Innocence Project Clinic played a role in helping to overturn a death sentence conviction in the state’s high court.

The 2011 Equal Justice Conference, cosponsored by the National Legal Aid & Defender Association and the ABA, will take place in San Francisco from May 19-21. The conference is attended by attorneys and other advocates in the legal services community, the pro bono community, as well as those from law schools and the bench.

The conference planners have issued a request for program proposals. Here are the guidelines and procedures for submitting a proposal, and here is the online proposal submission form. The proposal deadline is October 8, 2010.

Do you  know a law student who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to public service?  Nominate him or her for the 16th Annual PSLawNet Pro Bono Publico Award! This Award honors students at PSLawNet Subscriber Schools who have made exceptional contributions to under-served populations, the public interest community, and legal education by performing pro bono or public service work.  Nomination Deadline:  Thursday, September 9.

The award winner will be invited to Washington, DC to be honored during an Award Luncheon at NALP’s Public Service Mini-Conference on Thursday, October 21, 2010.

Anyone can nominate a student.  Nomination forms are available here.