By: Steve Grumm
Picked this up from the Philadelphia Business Journal, which is my non-Wall Street Journal business journal of choice. Advice geared toward those who are very active networkers on Linked-In. I use LI only passively, so this kind of behavior seems way aggressive to me. But I suppose it’s useful for the more active users to draw some lines of appropriate/inappropriate use of the site. FWIW.
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By: Steve Grumm
Here’s a piece by the Brennan Center about a law which, interestingly, funds the indigent defense program via fees paid by those who are convicted after being represented by a public defender:
In Louisiana, people who are represented by a public defender and are later convicted must pay a $35 fee to augment funding for public defenders even though they have already had a judicial determination made that they cannot afford an attorney. The fee creates a system that undermines the Constitutional right to conflict-free counsel by forcing attorneys to rely on their clients’ convictions for much needed funding. The existing fee already acts as an illogical tax on indigent defendants. And now there are two bills before the Louisiana House that would raise the fees on people who are likely unable to pay.
One question this piece doesn’t address is how many jurisdictions in addition to Louisiana also use a fee system like this one.
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By: Steve Grumm
Hello, dear readers. This week Kristen and I are staffing NALP’s annual conference in Austin, Texas. Dozens of law school public interest career advisors and public interest employers will attend. They will share the latest on lawyer hiring, professional development, and other news affecting public interest law students and lawyers.
Programming focused on the public interest arena includes:
Kristen and I will be blogging and tweeting this week to share what we learn. If you have any specific issues you’d like us to address while we’re at the conference, leave a note in the comments section. Also, follow us on Twitter at:
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The United States Department of Justice is seeking law students for a Fall 2012 internship with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, United States Immigration Court, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Volunteer Law Interns work in a clerkship capacity to research and draft decisions and memoranda for executive branch judges who preside over deportation, exclusion, removal, rescission and bond cases. Typical assignments include drafting decisions on applications for asylum, researching and writing memos on whether a particular criminal offense renders a person subject to removal, and drafting decisions on motions to reopen in cases where a final order of removal has been issued. Students will develop research and writing skills and gain increased understanding of immigration law and procedure.
Learn more at PSLawNet!
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The Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) is seeking to hire a full-time law clerk f
or the summer to assist its public benefits and education attorney.
HPRP’s mission is to end homelessness in Maryland by providing free legal services, including advice, counsel, education, representation and advocacy, for low and no-income persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
HPRP is a non-profit organization that provides free legal services and advocacy to maximize our clients’ ability to gain and maintain stable income, healthcare, housing, education and employment. HPRP primarily works with clients located in Baltimore City when providing direct services. The direct representation provided by HPRP informs the organization’s policy work which deals with complex legal and systemic issues facing people struggling with homelessness in Baltimore City and around Maryland. Therefore, HPRP provides both direct legal representation and corresponding client and community education in order to foster and promote the public interest.
Learn more about this position and apply at PSLawNet!
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Today, I got an unexpected email from a fellow 2011 law grad who was interested in learning more about the Job Search spreadsheet I use to keep track of all my job applications.
In case any of you want to use my method, I’ve created an Excel template you can try out.
Here’s a screenshot of the template. At the top, I have Employer, Job Title, Location, Materials Required w/ Deadline, Send to, Date Applied, and Notes. Jobs I’ve already applied for are highlighted in green, jobs I applied to but didn’t work out are in gray, and jobs that are in the queue to apply to are in red (you can click on the screenshot to see more details).
The template I’ve included here can also be uploaded onto your Google Docs. I use both Google Docs and Excel (if you use both formats, make sure to keep them updated!). I keep my Excel spreadsheet in my Dropbox folder so I have access to it whenever and wherever.
In addition to this spreadsheet, I also maintain a Networking Spreadsheet to keep track of people I’ve met along the way. You can use my template here.
Here’s a screenshot of my networking sheet:
I know, I know. It’s not nearly as colorful as my job search spreadsheet, but it works. At the top, I have Name, Organization/Employer, Contact Information, Meet Details, and F/U Notes.
Under Meet Details, I usually add a few keywords that will jog my memory on how/where/when we met. I always make sure to include who, if anyone, introduced me to the person. I keep my F/U Notes column updated with my latest contact with a person, including last time we emailed or met for coffee, etc.
I hope this helps! Do you have any other tips for keeping track of your job search efforts?
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A couple of weeks ago, a Twitter follower asked us if we had resources for law grads who want to start their own nonprofits.With more and more law grads getting creative about their job searches and career paths, it’s easy to understand why founding a nonprofit is one of the many alternatives to traditional law jobs. Well, I did my research and compiled 6 general tips on getting the wheels turning to start a nonprofit.
1. Assess yourself.
Figure out what issues you’re passionate about. It may be that the practice areas you were interested in are transferable for purposes of your nonprofit. Or, not. Either way, brainstorm.
Then, when you’ve written down everything you possibly can about your passions, do the same for your skills. What skills do you have that will be helpful in running your nonprofit? Maybe you were a fundraiser in a past life or a public relations guru — write it down.
2. Assess your community.
Take a look at nonprofits serving your community. What kinds of organizations are there a lot of? Are there organizations that could be doing more? Are there issues that are not being addressed at all? Talk to nonprofit leaders in your community and see what they’re saying.
3. Match up!
After you’ve done your research, it’s time to narrow your nonprofit organization’s focus. Match any needs you found in your community to your passions, interests, or skills.
4. Refine & Plan.
Work on refining what you want to accomplish, who you want to serve, and how you plan on delivering your services. You’re almost there when you can describe your organization’s goal, mission and services in one sentence.
5. Get that money, honey.
Fundraising and finding supporters will be the most important and toughest part of starting your nonprofit. You have to relentlessly reach out to people who may have an interest in supporting your organization’s work and develop relationships with community leaders that can lend credibility to your organization. Also, apply for grants!
6. Incorporate.
Here’s where your lawyering skills come in handy! Go here to find your state’s incorporation forms and information. Nonprofit board members are very important because they will be the champions for your organization. Choose wisely.
Other helpful links:
Society for Nonprofit Organizations
7 Essentials Tips for Starting a Nonprofit
National Council of Nonprofits
I hope this was helpful! Do you have any other tips on starting your own nonprofit?
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By: Steve Grumm
The Internets weren’t even a series of tubes when I was high school. In college I used Netscape Navigator to browse while doing school papers, and Yahoo! was the latest thing in web search technology. So I’m greatly interested in how the technology-driven Millenials will change the ways we work as the years unfold. Here’s some new research from the Pew Internet Project and Elon University’s Imaging the Internet Center:
Teens and young adults brought up from childhood with a continuous connection to each other and to information will be nimble, quick-acting multitaskers who count on the Internet as their external brain and who approach problems in a different way from their elders, according to a new survey of technology experts.
Many of the experts surveyed by Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center and the Pew Internet Project said the effects of hyperconnectivity and the always-on lifestyles of young people will be mostly positive between now and 2020. But the experts in this survey also predicted this generation will exhibit a thirst for instant gratification and quick fixes, a loss of patience, and a lack of deep-thinking ability due to what one referred to as “fast-twitch wiring.”
The survey results are based on a non-random, opt-in, online sample of 1,021 internet experts and other internet users, recruited via email invitation, Twitter or Facebook from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and the Imagining the Internet Center at Elon University. Since the data are based on a non-random sample, a margin of error cannot be computed, and the results are not projectable to any population other than the experts in this sample.
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Did you miss EJW’s educational debt webinars last month? It’s all good — there’s 4 this month! Don’t miss them!
Educational debt has become a crippling burden for far too many, and especially for those who want to pursue careers in public service. Equal Justice Works provides in depth information on loan repayment assistance programs and relief programs like Income-Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness to help everyone pursue the career of their dreams.
Our current sessions include:
Special session presented by the New York State Bar Association and Equal Justice Works: What Every Public Interest Attorney Should Know About Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Wednesday, March 7, 3-4 p.m. EST
The Steven C. Krane Special Committee on Student Loan Assistance for the Public Interest (SLAPI) is hosting a free webinar on loan repayment for public interest/government attorneys and for public interest/government employers on March 7, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. The webinar is collaboration with Equal Justice Works.
SLAPI was created in the summer of 2001 to review the impact of law school indebtedness on the ability of government and public service employers to attract qualified attorneys to undertake careers in public service, and to develop a plan to assist new attorneys in pursuing public service careers by reducing indebtedness. SLAPI has two goals: to continue to provide financial assistance to mid-level government and public interest attorneys – those out of law school 3 to 6 years – burdened with large educational debt (who are less likely to qualify for federal loan repayment assistance), and to help educate attorneys and employers on the developments in the loan repayment assistance landscape.
SLAPI awarded new loan repayment assistance grants – the first since 2008 – at the January 2012 Annual meeting and will award further grants in January 2013 (go here for more information). SLAPI’s website also provides information about federal and state loan assistance repayment options.
Plan Before You Borrow: What You Should Know About Educational Loans BEFORE You Go to Graduate School
Friday, March 9, 3-4 p.m. EST
Interested in government or public interest work after graduating? This webinar will help you plan ahead and make sure you can take full advantage of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the most significant law affecting public service in a generation.
The webinar will teach you about:
– Taking out the right kind of loans
– Consolidating or reconsolidating your previous student loans
– How the College Cost Reduction and Access Act can free you to pursue a public interest career
How to Pay Your Bills AND Your Student Loans: Utilizing Income-Based Repayment
Friday, March 16, 3-4 p.m. EDT
Saddled with high student debt? This webinar reviews Income-Based Repayment, a powerful provision of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that allows anyone with high debt relative to their income to reduce their federal student loan payments.
This interactive webinar will teach you:
– How to understand your federal loans
– How Income-Based Repayment works and if it is right for you
– How to sign up for Income-Based Repayment
Get Your Educational Loans Forgiven: Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Friday, March 23, 3-4 p.m. EDT
For recent graduates with jobs in government or at a nonprofit, this webinar explains how to make sure you immediately begin fulfilling requirements to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness so that your educational debt will be forgiven as soon as possible.
You will learn about:
– The importance of having the right kind of Federal Loans
– What you need to do to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
– How long it will take to have your educational debt forgiven
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Michael P. Maslanka, the managing partner of the Dallas office of Constangy, Brooks & Smith, authored a post on LawJobs.com about how to approach a mentor. He gives 5 great tips for law students and new attorneys.
It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and think about mentoring from the mentor’s perspective when you’re so caught up in your own job searching worries, troubles and goals — but we can’t forget the the attorneys who are so willing to help us young ones and everything they’ve got going on!
Here are Maslanka’s 5 Tips on How to Approach a Mentor:
• No. 1: Be humble.
• No. 2: Time is our most valuable possession.
• No. 3: If you say something is important, treat it as if it is important.
• No. 4: Create contact capital.
• No. 5: Stay in touch.
In addition to these great tips, Maslanka offers some wise insight for each one. Check it out here; it’s worth it.
Thoughts? Anything you’d add to the list?
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