The internship will entail in-depth research and analysis of novel legal issues, as well as preparation of legal memoranda for the immigration judges. Interns will have an opportunity to draft several decisions that will be taken under advisement by an immigration judge. Interns can expect to complete assignments that may later be used as writing samples. In addition, interns will be able to observe a variety of matters brought before the court. The intern will work under the supervision of the court’s attorney advisor but will also have substantial interaction with the individual immigration judges.

Projects assigned vary depending on the court’s docket but will include:

• Research and preparation of memoranda on complex legal issues;
• Drafting decisions on motions pending before the court; and
• Drafting decisions on applications for relief from removal, such as asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under Article 3 of the U.N. Convention Against Torture.

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

Public Advocates seeks dynamic and dedicated advocates to apply for project funding with us through the Equal Justice Works and Skadden post-graduate fellowship programs. Fellows would work out of our offices in San Francisco or Sacramento.

We are a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing, and transit equity. We spur change through collaboration with grassroots groups representing low-income communities, people of color and immigrants, combined with strategic policy reform, media advocacy, and litigation, “making rights real” across California since 1971. We currently focus on education equity, affordable housing, transportation justice, climate justice, and regional equity. Find more detailed information at www.publicadvocates.org.

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

The Director of the AI Justice DC Office provides national advocacy and policy leadership in Washington, DC and elsewhere in collaboration with the Executive Director and Policy Director. This position will strategically advocate immigration-related issues to advance AI Justice’s policy agenda primarily on the federal level. Another goal is to establish AI Justice as a trusted and essential part of governmental/advocacy relationships as well as a key player in advancing important immigration policy improvement at the national level.  This position will be responsible for advocating AI Justice’s policy positions, coordinating and disseminating AI Justice’s statements and reports, and serving as a spokesperson for the agency.

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

By: Maria Hibbard

Ever since New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman announced a new 50-hour pro bono service requirement on May 1, opinions have abounded on the subject. Although Lippman stated in his law day speech, “As far back as judges and lawyers have existed, the pursuit of equal justice for all, rich and poor alike, has been the hallmark of our profession” lawyers, reporters, and civil legal aid organizations alike have stated that the requirement will be of little help to organizations, difficult to enforce, and an unnecessary burden on too many debt-laden law students and recent graduates studying for the bar exam. The NY Times invited readers to respond to David Udell’s letter defending the requirement as not overly burdensome; you can read the responses here in The Times’ Sunday Review.

Although this requirement will most likely not affect me (right now, I’m not planning to move to New York!), it will affect thousands of law students set to graduate in 2014 and beyond—and many of my classmates at Case Western who hope to move to New York after graduation. Will this requirement be an undue burden on our class? As Udell states, “50 hours of pro bono work will not mire students into poverty.” Even as I look at my student loan balance—as compared to my checking account balance–I tend to agree. Although 50 hours a week is a little over an average workweek, Judge Lippman explained that it would amount to only a few hours over each semester of law school. Let’s divide those 50 by the 6 semesters of law school; that’s 8.33 hours of pro-bono work per semester over three years. In comparison—in my hometown, I had to complete 40 hours of volunteer work in my senior year in order to graduate from high school.  8.33 hours of work per semester could easily be divided up into two 4-hour work periods helping at, for example, the Brief Advice Clinics offered by Cleveland Legal Aid. Certainly, the 50-hour requirement cannot be construed as unreasonable.

The argument has also been made that the requirement will not significantly advance access to justice nor reduce the burden on civil legal aid because law students and recent law graduates studying for the bar must be supervised, increasing administrative costs for already stressed organizations. Although I admit that even after one year of law school, I don’t know much about the law—I don’t think the administrative costs of supervision would be prohibitive, especially if the program was introduced gradually. It’s no secret that law schools are primary revenue drivers for many universities, and the “sharing the wealth” perspective of this pro-bono requirement might mean that law schools themselves would need to devote more administrative resources to civil legal aid societies to contribute to the cost of supervising law students. The call for law schools to teach law students more “practical skills” is a constant one, and many of my own classmates stated that our “practice counseling” and our “practice negotiation” sessions were some of the most valuable experiences we did at school this year. I know my own school devoted a significant amount of resources to this program—what if these resources were dedicated towards developing pro bono opportunities for law students, allowing students to complete supervised “practice counseling” with a real client—not an actor?

Although I certainly don’t think mandatory pro bono is reasonable for all practicing attorneys, 50 hours of pro bono service cannot be out of the question for aspiring lawyers. To me, the requirement is reminiscent of the 50 hours of supervised driving I had to complete before taking the test to get my Ohio driver’s license. It was just one of the requirements I had to complete to get the license, along with the written test and the eye exam.  At this point in my legal career, I still have a number of requirements to meet to become a licensed attorney—completing the rest of my classes, the MPRE, the bar exam—50 hours of pro bono service along with these already stringent requirements should not be an undue burden, but an opportunity to “test drive” legal skills and hopefully begin a lifetime of serving those who would not otherwise have access to justice. Completing the 50 hours of service might allow a law student to discover an area that he never considered—or simply begin a pattern of service that will help ease the burden on civil legal aid throughout his legal career.

Founded in 1969, BPI is dedicated to addressing compelling issues of social justice and to enhancing the quality of life for all people living in the Chicago region.  Currently, BPI works to increase the availability of affordable housing for working families, transform segregated public housing, improve Chicago’s public schools, and advocate for reforms that will foster more open, honest, and accountable government in Illinois.  BPI’s staff of lawyers and policy specialists uses a variety of approaches, including litigation, policy research and advocacy, community organizing, and collaboration with civic, business, and community organizations.

Find out how to apply at PsLawNet!

By: Maria Hibbard (with snaps to Kristen Pavon!)

So—you’ve finished finals, you’ve got a summer job, and you haven’t read a casebook in weeks. Maybe you even listened in to our Summer Success: Getting the Most from Your Summer Public Interest Experience webinar. Are you set to go? You may be finding that transitioning from the competitive atmosphere of law school and the ultra-focused mode of finals to an office may be harder than you realize. Here’s five tips on communicating in a professional environment to keep in mind:

• Maintain composure. Last month the Wall Street Journal wrote about not crying in the office—regardless of whether something goes your way or not, maintaining composure is as essential to developing a professional identity as a clean resume.
• Don’t get too personal. Avoid gossip, inappropriate conversations about personal matters, and generalizations about polarizing topics. You don’t want an individual who may later serve as a reference to know too much about your weekend antics.
• Talk it through. Resolving a personal conflict with an individual may be best approached by an individual conversation instead of avoiding the issue. The conflict may be just a misunderstanding, or it may be a larger matter that needs to be resolved through a series of conversations.
• Avoid negativity. Although your job might seem wonderful at first, every position has its high points and low points. Avoiding vocal expression of negativity and staying focused on the positive aspects of your job can make the work environment better for both you and your co-workers.
• Respect! Finally, a pearl of wisdom from a 1991 New York Times article on office etiquette (not much has changed!): “Respect someone else’s physical space and property; live by the old golden rule in life to regard others the way you want to be regarded.”– Dr. Abraham Zaleznik, Matsushita professor emeritus of leadership at the Harvard Business School.

by Kristen Pavón

Well, friends, my time has come. Today’s my last day as the PSLawNet fellow at NALP. I’m leaving the great District of Columbia to join the 2012 Teach For America Corps in my hometown — Miami, Florida!

It has been fun bringing you all public interest news, career advice, and other tidbits from around the public interest sphere, and getting to know many of you through NALP/PSLawNet events and via the Internets.

Here are a few of my favorite posts that I hope you’ve enjoyed:

• Staying the Game: Overcoming Job Search Fatigue
• Landing the Job: Keeping Track of Your Job Search
• Be Bold in Your Job Search & For Your Professional Development
• The Race to Incarcerate: A Country of Inmates
• Resume Rework: Tips to Impress in 15 Seconds or Less
• Landing the Job: Rock That Phone Interview!
• Check out PSLawNet’s Summer 2012 Reading List!

Good luck in law school and the job market. Make sure to connect with me via Linkedin! Finally, I leave you with this:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSmKuVSocN8]

Bye now! 🙂

-Kristen

by Kristen Pavón

Adriana Rodriguez is the EJW Fellow at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in Laredo, Texas. She is a 2011 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law.

I met Ms. Rodriguez at NALP’s Annual Education Conference last month. She was the speaker at our Public Service Section Luncheon. She gave us great insights into Texas’s legal aid situation and reinvigorated our public interest passion.

She is just one of the many young attorneys doing good work — learn about her and her work here, and get inspired!

Tell me a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Laredo, Texas along  the U.S.-Mexico border.  My parents instilled a strong sense of community service in my brother and me.  I was talkative and very social as a child, and I continue to be as an adult.

When and why did you decide to go to law school?

I decided I wanted  to go to law school in high school.  I, like many, read “To Kill A Mockingbird” and felt inspired and deeply stirred by the character of Atticus Finch.  The life of a lawyer seemed very appealing to me.  As a teenager, I liked the idea of dramatic courtroom moments to help someone find justice, but now, as an actual lawyer, I realize there’s a little more to it.

Did you know you wanted to go into public interest law before starting law school?

I was pretty certain I wanted to do some kind of service oriented lawyering early on.  My pre-law school years as a school teacher in Houston really cemented my commitment to low income communities.  It seemed my students and their families had so many troubles, some of which seemed to have legal remedies .  As a first year law student, I was anxious to learn more about the access to justice issues that kept so many away from the legal help they needed.

What is the legal aid/access to justice situation like in Texas?

Texas is fortunate to have three legal aid service providers across the state.  Unfortunately, there are about 11,000 eligible clients for every 1 legal aid attorney.  Accessing legal services is often much more difficult for Texans who live in rural communities.  The Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Access to Justice Commission advocate zealously for legal aid funds  in Texas despite a struggling economy.  Still, there is much work to be done to improve access to legal services to all Texans.

Can you describe your EJW project at TEXAS RIOGRANDE LEGAL AID?

My Equal Justice Works Fellowship Project sets out to support survivors of domestic violence and help them achieve some kind of peace at home.  The Project, partnered with the local women’s shelter, assists survivors in attaining protective orders and resolving divorce and custody disputes.  The Project also helps  undocumented survivors apply  for special immigration status through VAWA and U-Visas self-petitions.  Additionally, the Project sets out to bring more pro bono resource s to the Laredo area by recruiting attorneys from Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio to take  these special immigration cases.

How and why did you decide on this particular project?

I remain concerned about the home-lives of my students and the many like them across the country.  After learning more about domestic violence and its long-term effects on families and communities, I wanted to develop a project around the issue.  During my time as a student in Austin, I learned a great deal about the services available  to survivors and their families in Travis County.  I wanted to replicate some of these great ideas back in Laredo, where I knew low-income survivors did no t have the same access to services, especially legal representation.

You mentioned during the public service luncheon that Laredo is not a favorite destination for new attorneys to start their careers. However, you decided to work there anyway. Describe how you came to that decision.

I decided to return to Laredo with this two-year project because I wanted to be a part of the network of support available to survivors in the Laredo area.  I was hopeful that I could increase access to legal services for women who were indigent and unable to access our court systems otherwise.  There are plenty of young attorneys willing to do this difficult work in bigger cities.  I figured I should take my energy back home.

What do you plan to do after your fellowship?

I would like to continue to work with survivors of domestic violence at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid.

What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known before and/or during law school?

Most law schools don’t teach students how to build rapport with clients.  Some students learn how to do this when they work in law school clinics or while they intern somewhere, but plenty don’t.  As a young attorney, I’ve learned that building a positive  rapport with clients is tremendously important, especially in the domestic violence context.

What advice would you give pre-law or current law students about law school, the job market, and/or public interest work?

I think anyone who aspires to be a public interest lawyer needs to seek opportunities to gain experience and  real perspective about the issues affecting many low income communities.  Reading or hearing about the issues that plague people in our communities is simply not enough.  Volunteer!  Intern!  Just get out there.

Learn more about TEXAS RIOGRANDE LEGAL AID here.

Happy Friday, dear readers.

“May you live in interesting times.”*  Is this a well-wish or a curse?  It could be either, and I was reminded of this while attending the Equal Justice Conference earlier this week.  I was heartened to learn of so many creative approaches taken by access-to-justice stakeholders in trying to serve increasing numbers of clients even in the midst of crushing funding shortages.  But the fact remains that these are dark times for the AtJ community.  One legal services executive director, while contemplating funding cuts, the disappearance of government support programs for low-income communities, and swollen caseloads, said simply, “I feel like we’re losing.”  It was a sobering experience for me to hear that from someone who’s spent her entire career fighting for those on society’s margins.

Still, I left the conference with a sense of optimism.  After all, the EJC brings together a highly diverse group of legal professionals – legal services and law firm lawyers, bar association officials, judges, law school faculty and administrators, etc. – who are unified by a commitment to making our justice system work for all, especially our most vulnerable.  Many of the older more senior attendees have weathered storms like the present one before – funding cuts on federal and state levels, IOLTA shortfalls, staff layoffs, client-support programs eroding.  And yet here they are, year after year, sharing the solutions they’ve developed to make due in tough circumstances, and brainstorming to generate new solutions.  They are accustomed to uphill battles.  In these interesting times, I’m so grateful for the creativity and resilience which has long characterized the access-to-justice community.  (And I’m grateful that Angela Vigil makes us all laugh.)

(*I stole this proverb from David Udell of the National Center for Access to Justice at Cardozo Law.  Thanks, David.)               

This week:

• a new diversionary court for vets in Illinois;
• filing-fee increase in Connecticut will boost legal services funding;
• Governor Brown may siphon mortgage settlement cash away from legal services providers;
• a nicely written piece on the importance of pro bono in the profession;
• in PA, class action residuals will better assist the legal services community;
• the financially strapped NOLA public defender’s office may have been shorted thousands in $;
• a Houston Chronicle editorial supports the controversial public defense program in Harris County;
• a call for indigent defense reform in PA.

The summaries:

• 5.17.12 – http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may2012/def1-m17.shtml

• 5.16.12 – as has happened in many other county court systems, a new diversionary court for veterans has launched in Joliet, IL (Will County).  “The new court will function like the existing drug court in Will County… In many cases, selected defendants will be required to plead guilty to their crimes up front before they are allowed into the court. They will be required to remain drug free, submit to random drug tests, find work, follow through with treatment and attend weekly counseling sessions. If they comply with all of the court terms, they will graduate and their charges will be dismissed.  In certain cases, the court may not require a guilty plea upfront, or the state may forego filing criminal charges at all if the participant successfully completes the program.”  (Story from the Herald-News.)  

• 5.14.12 – in Connecticut, a boost in court filing fees will generate funds for legal services providers.  “State lawmakers have provided cash-strapped legal aid programs with a financial shot in the arm, as they agreed last week to increase court filing fees for the second time since 2009…. The latest increases are expected to generate more than $4.8 million annually for legal aid agencies, which have been hit hard by layoffs and service cuts in recent years. Agency leaders say they think the new money will stave off further cuts — for the time being…. By all accounts, the higher filing fees were the topic of intense negotiations by lawmakers, legal aid officials and lawyers. Some trial lawyers were not pleased with the latest round of increases.”  (Story from Connecticut Law Tribune.)  

• 5.14.12 – [In California,] Gov. Jerry Brown apparently has his own plans for a $410-million all-cash slice of a national mortgage settlement: Plug some of the holes of California’s massive deficit.  The state attorney general’s office told The Times last Friday it hoped to use about half the cash from the settlement with the nation’s five biggest banks to aid housing counselors and legal services agencies. But the governor plans instead to use the money to make interest payments on bonds for housing projects that include low-income and senior housing as well as shelters for battered women (see page 89 of the revised budget).  Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris immediately objected to the redirecting of the money, which was won as part of a massive settlement with five of the nation’s largest banks over mortgage servicing and foreclosure abuses.”  (Full story in the L.A. Times.)
  • here was an earlier L.A. Times report: “About half of the $410 million flowing into California’s coffers from the national mortgage settlement with major banks will be pumped into the state’s housing counselors and legal services agencies that help struggling homeowners.”

• 5.14.12 – here’s a nice post on the Marquette Law School blog about the importance of pro bono to the legal profession. 

• 5.14.12 – “New rules announced May 11 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania direct unclaimed money from class-action lawsuits be mandated to provide legal services for low-income Pennsylvanians.  Prior to this, the disposition of residual funds was left to the discretion of the trial judge.  The new civil procedure rules take effect July 1.”  (Story from LegalNewsline.com)  (And here’s a little more coverage from the Allentown Morning Call.)

• 5.14.12 – a brouhaha concerning statutorily required funding transfers among various NOLA city agencies seems to have shorted the already strapped public defender’s office by potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. 

• 5.13.12 – criticism of the much-discussed plan to require 50 hours of pro bono service for admission to the New York bar.  “Mandatory pro bono work for lawyers is a good idea. But Judge Lippman’s plan is deeply flawed, as it affects only aspiring lawyers who have not yet gained admission to the bar. As a result, the beneficiaries of Judge Lippman’s largess will be served by people unlicensed to practice law — who by definition have no real practice experience. (Though internships and law school clinics are useful training grounds for future lawyers, they are no substitute for the rigors of licensed practice.)”  Full op-ed, by Prof. Ben Trachtenberg of the U. of Missouri School of Law, in the New York Times.

• 5.11.12 – a Houston Chronicle editorial voices strong support for the city’s public defense program which, two years after its creation, is being sharply criticized by some judges and the local Republican party.  

• 5.10.12 – a blog post from the ACLU of Pennsylvania makes the case for reforming the Keystone State’s indigent defense system. 

By: Steve Grumm

Because everyone loves to think about student debt as they begin their weeks…

• In a Minnesota Lawyer piece, legal management analyst Edward Poll notes that the landscape is changing with respect to the value of legal education, and cites alarming statistics about loans as he wonders whether law student loans are a “debt bomb” in the making.
• Will Congress move to make student debt dischargeable – or at least subject to more flexible treatment – in bankruptcy proceedings?  The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend:

The growth of student debt is stirring debate about whether the government should step in to ease the burden by rewriting the bankruptcy laws—again.

In 2005, Congress prohibited student debt from being discharged through bankruptcy, except in rare cases, because of concerns that many young graduates—who often have no major assets such as a house or a car—would be tempted to walk away from loan obligations.

Some lawmakers now want to temper that position, pointing to concerns that a significant number of Americans could be buried under education loans for decades. Their efforts, however, would apply only to private loans—a fraction of the market.

All of this suggests to me it’s dawning on high-level policymakers that decades of increased tuition costs and student borrowing have saddled millions with debt that they’ll be servicing for years to come.  (Including yours truly!) 

The single most important key to managing your educational debt is educating yourself about it.  Use resources provided by our friends Heather Jarvis and the folks at Equal Justice Works to understand what it is you’ve borrowed and how you can minimize your debt obligations most quickly.