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.

Plan Before You Borrow: What You Should Know About Educational Loans BEFORE You Go to Graduate School

Thursday, May 10, 2-3 p.m. EDT

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

Register here.

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking is looking for a Staff Attorney. Under the supervision of the Policy and Legal Services Director, the Staff Attorney will be responsible for providing comprehensive legal services to survivors of human trafficking including assisting clients seek immigration, criminal and civil relief with an emphasis on immigration assistance.

The Staff Attorney will also be responsible for coordinating the legal program’s emergency response to breaking cases and developing and providing training on the issue of human trafficking to partner organizations, law firms, and law enforcement. This is a full- time, exempt position.

The mission of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) is to assist persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights violations. Our activities are interconnected by a client-centered approach that seeks to empower survivors of trafficking to fully realize their individual potential while advancing the human rights of all trafficked survivors. CAST is providing the momentum for these survivors to plant the “seeds of renewal” that will give them the freedom to grow in the direction of their potential and dreams.

Learn how to apply at PSLawNet!

By: Steve Grumm

Happy Friday, dear readers.  A few items of general interest before we get to the news:

1. Last week I posed the first-ever Friday Trivia Question.  My execution was flaw…ful.  I asked folks to name the three English words beginning with “dw-“.  The source of authority for this question was my own, vague memory of having been asked the question in or around 2007.  The words I wanted were “dwarf,” dwell,” and “dwindle.”  A troublemaker from Cornell Law School whom I shan’t name Karen Comstock emailed to offer “dweeb” as an answer.  Frankly I hadn’t heard the word “dweeb” since this happened.  But, on account of my abiding sense of fairness, I dusted off a dictionary.  And I beheld an entry for “dweeb.”  Finding this entry was as surprising to me as first having found a dictionary.  So, “dweeb” is fair game.  And I am one. 
   • This experience taught me to take my trivia questioning more seriously.  Next week the Friday Trivia Question will become a fixture.  Yay for us.
2. Staying with the themes of education and edification, PSLawNet released our 2012 Summer Reading List yesterday.  We asked a handful of NALP members and some other public interest lawyers for both fiction and nonfiction reads that may be of interest to students on summer break.  Not surprisingly we ended up with a terrific list with options for public interest advocates of all ages, shapes, and sizes.  Thanks to those who pitched in.
3. Lastly I wish to note how profoundly undemocratic is the District’s professional baseball team when it comes to ticket sales.  The Nationals made news earlier this year when they schemed to avoid having their seats filled with Phillies fans during the series in DC this weekend.  Why would any team wish to keep Phillies fans out?  We’re so pleasant.  DO YOU HEAR ME??  WE’RE SO DAMNED PLEASANT!!!  Anyway, I have some respect for the sheer moxie of it, but this is probably not a gauntlet the Nats should have thrown down in front of Phils fans.  We’ll soon find out.        

There’s much public interest news to review this week.  In brief:

• pro bono required to practice in NY State;
• ‘Nova Law grad secures a Fulbright to work on anti-trafficking issues;
• a Louisiana measure to boost defender funding may fall short;
• both the Philly DA and PD are seeking more $ from City Council;
• why the veto of state funding for legal services in Florida is bad;
• ditto;
• “Another Crisis Looming for Legal Aid?” in Connecticut;
• also in Connecticut, how the state’s dealing with a huge DV caseload;
• how serious a problem is law grads’ educational debt?;
• politics and policy affecting Houston’s nascent public defense program;
• Wisconsin pro bono rules relaxed to allow lawyers to help after natural disasters.

The summaries:

• 5.1.12 – pro bono will soon be required for a license to practice in New York.   The AP reports: “New York will become the first state to require lawyers to do 50 hours of pro bono work as a condition for getting a license starting next year, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said Tuesday.  With about 10,000 people passing the New York Bar Exam annually, Lippman said that means about a half-million hours of free legal work yearly, mostly from law students. That should help fill ‘the justice gap’ for the poor, working poor ‘and what has recently been described as the near poor’ whose needs have risen sharply in a tough economy, he said.”
  • additional coverage from the New York Law Journal;
  • a New York Times editorial is supportive.
  • reaction and questions from folks in the legal services and law school communities, including the question about how these thousands of pro bono hours will be administered, tracked, etc. (from the Lower Hudson Valley Blog).

• 5.1.12 – a graduating Villanova Law student’s passion for working on anti-trafficking issues has netted him a Fulbright scholarship.  John Rafferty’s work has taken him from the Navy to a public interest scholarship at Villanova Law, and will next move him to Quito, Ecuador to work with the International Organization on Migration.  Pretty impressive.  (Story in the Main Line News.) 

• 5.1.12 – In Louisiana, a bill which raises court filing fees to generate extra funding for public defenders’ offices was diluted via an amendment in the house.  It may not provide enough funding for some offices to avoid layoffs and close budget gaps.  (Story from the Daily Iberian.)

• 5.1.12 – in Philly, both the public defender and DA are seeking additional funding from City Council as the body puts together the next fiscal year’s budget.  “Chief Public Defender Ellen Greenlee says the mayor’s proposed budget gives the Defender Association the same money for the fiscal year beginning July first that it has this year.  Greenlee says that’s unacceptable and without new money for almost two dozen new attorneys the office cannot continue.”  Story from WHYY. 

• 5.1.12 – Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida’s board chair explains why Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of funding for legal services will hurt the state.  “This is not a partisan issue. A Republican-controlled legislature passed the Florida Access to Civil Legal Assistance Act in 2002. Republican lawmakers have provided funds each year — up to $2.5 million — for the FACLA program.  Scott’s veto means that the number of legal aid attorneys statewide will drop from 400 to fewer than 280 next year, and the number will shrink even more in 2014 — even as the demand for services is growing….  On top of that, Florida TaxWatch (which is no friend of government spending) conducted a study in 2010 that found that for every $1 the FACLA program spent, nearly $14 in economic activity was generated. That means that the $2 million that Gov. Scott didn’t think was needed would not only have provided desperately needed legal assistance for the poor, but would also have generated nearly $28 million in economic activity.”  (Op-ed in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.)

• 4.30.12 – the funding plight of Tampa-based Bay Area Legal Services: “Funding for Bay Area Legal Services, which helps the poor navigate the civil court system, is at an all-time low, forcing the agency to reach into the legal community for help.  An unprecedented $1 million in cuts this year translates to a 14 percent reduction from last year’s budget. Nearly every funding source, including federal, state and local contributions and a trust fund set up by The Florida Bar Foundation, has reduced its contribution.”  (Story from Tampa Bay Online.) 

• 4.30.12 – a piece in the Connecticut Law Tribune homes in on the fiscal woes confronting legal services providers in the Nutmeg State., asking “Another Crisis Looming for Legal Aid?”  (I would argue that there’s been a sustained crisis since about 2009.)  As for state IOLTA funding, while it topped out at $20 million in 2007, it’s projected to produce less than $ 1million this year.

•  while Connecticut’s legal services providers feel funding strains, the states courts feel hte strains imposed by the domestic violence caseload.   Stakeholders met recently to explore “the unique pressures that upward of 28,000 domestic-violence cases per year exert on prosecutors, public defenders, family-relations counselors, victim’s advocates and judges in the state courthouses. Statewide, 30 percent of all criminal cases arise from domestic violence.”  Courtrooms with DV-only dockets have been helpful in boosting efficiency.  Story from the Hartford Courant. 

• Are school loans the next “debt bomb”?  I could do without the headline hyperbole, but a law management expert lays out the frightening student debt numbers that have become the norm for today’s grads and wonders what impact the weight of this burden will have.  (Here’s the Minnesota Lawyer piece.) 

• a two-part series by a Houston Chronicle columnist looks at the lawyer who most staunchly opposes the operation of Harris County’s new public defense office.  The assigned-counsel system was in place for years in Houston. It worried some observers who saw cronyism and unfairness in its administration.  But even as the public defense office has taken root, some judges still refuse to refer cases there.  Part one and part two.

• we’ll end where we began: pro bono.  Wisconsin’s high court has loosened restrictions on pro bono practice rules with the intended effect of allowing more pro bono lawyers to act in a natural disaster’s wake.  From the State Bar of Wisconsin: [The approved petition] “will amend Supreme Court rules by allowing out-of-state lawyers to practice pro bono temporarily in Wisconsin after a after a major disaster in Wisconsin.  The rule will also allow such lawyers to provide legal services in Wisconsin related to the lawyer’s practice in a jurisdiction affected by a major disaster.  The petition, filed jointly by the Board of Administrative Oversight and the State Bar of Wisconsin, is patterned after a model rule adopted by the American Bar Association after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita….”

by Kristen Pavón

Summer is finally here! What better way to celebrate than by sipping Piña Coladas poolside reading?! For pleasure! Imagine that.

Photo courtesy of http://waterytart23.blogspot.com

Last year, after graduation and the bar exam, I went on a leisure-reading binge — I must’ve read 10 books in less than 6 months! I had forgotten how colorful the world of non-case law books could be!

Well, now we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of 35 fiction and non-fiction books for the public interest-minded crowd. You can check them out here.

Enjoy! Let us know what you think!

The Southern Environmental Law Center is accepting applications for a two year associate attorney position in its Chapel Hill, North Carolina office to work on a range of transportation advocacy and policy issues. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of an organization that is successfully addressing some of the most important and challenging environmental issues in the Southeast. Associates gain valuable experience and knowledge working with senior attorneys on litigation and policy advocacy in a range of venues in all three branches of government.

SELC’s Land & Community Program uses legal advocacy, policy reform, and public education to promote sustainable transportation polices and land use outcomes in our fast-growing region. Our Transportation Initiative constitutes a major aspect of this program area, and includes a mix of project specific advocacy, as well as administrative and legislative policy initiatives.

Learn more about SELC and the associate attorney position at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

Where will you be working/interning/relaxing/studying this summer? In a big city maybe?

Well, PSLawNet has great tips on how to enjoy big cities on a tight budget here. We’ve got the inside scoop on Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and our newest addition…my beautiful hometown, Miami! Wepa!

So, if you haven’t checked out our Having Fun on the Cheap page, get to it! Now, now, now.

Many thanks to Daniela Gordon at the University of Miami School of Law for sending us these great suggestions!

The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center seeks an attorney to focus on impact representation involving immigrant rights issues. Tasks will include direct client representation in state and federal litigation, case investigation and development, legal research and writing, negotiation, community task force participation, training, document preparation, and policy analysis.

The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is a resource center for advocates seeking equal justice for Michigan’s immigrants. MIRC works to build a thriving Michigan where immigrant communities are fully integrated and respected.

In order to realize this mission the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center:

• Builds capacity through education and training about immigration law and the complex relationship between immigration status and immigrants’ rights in areas including access to public benefits, family law and child welfare, civil rights, and worker’s rights.

• Answers questions and provides technical support to attorneys and advocates serving low-income immigrants.

• Recruits, trains, and mentors volunteer pro bono attorneys.

• Leads systematic advocacy to advance the rights of low-income immigrants and their families.

• Tracks and analyzes legislative and legal developments related to immigration law and immigrants’ rights.

• Builds coalition among immigrant advocacy and other social justice and civil rights organizations statewide.

• Represents individual clients in priority areas including naturalization and citizenship matters and the rights of survivors of domestic violence, refugees, and unaccompanied minors.

• Promotes respect and understanding among immigrants and receiving communities through our Welcoming Michigan initiative.

MIRC is a joint project of Legal Services of South Central Michigan’s Michigan Poverty Law Program and Farmworker Legal Services divisions. The work of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center is made possible by grants from the Michigan State Bar Foundation, the Arcus Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and a U.S. Department of Justice Legal Assistance for Victims Grant (from MIRC’s website).

Learn how to apply for the immigration attorney position at PSLawNet!

On Wednesday, May 23 at 3:00 PM EDT, NALP is presenting “Summer Success: Getting the Most from Your Summer Public Interest Experience.”

During this free webinar, you’ll learn practical tips on how to develop professionally and personally while interning at a public interest office this summer. Also, you’ll get insider advice from public interest attorneys and community leaders.

Deb Ellis, the Assistant Dean of Public Service at NYU Law School, and Lindsay M. Harris, Tahirih Justice Center’s Equal Justice Works Fellow and Immigration Staff Attorney, will be leading the webinar.

Don’t delay, register today!

Register here:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/824680642

The NLRB Special Litigation Branch is currently looking to hire a staff attorney.

The Branch is primarily responsible for representing the Board and General Counsel, as a party or amicus, in miscellaneous litigation in the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals, in cases other than those arising directly from the enforcement of Board Decisions and Orders.  The Special Litigation Branch is often involved in politically sensitive issues that have a high public profile.  An attorney in the Special Litigation Branch will be involved in some of the most legally complex questions occurring in the Agency.

While all Special Litigation Branch cases directly relate to National Labor Relations Act proceedings, and knowledge of the NLRA is accordingly necessary, Branch assignments commonly involve cases brought under other statutes such as the Freedom of Information Act, the Bankruptcy Code, the Privacy Act and the Equal Access to Justice Act. The Branch’s caseload also includes actions to mandate or prohibit specific conduct by the Board, the General Counsel and other Agency personnel, appellate and contempt litigation in subpoena enforcement proceedings, and rulemaking litigation.

Interested? Learn how to apply at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

Today’s the day we celebrate our commitment to the rule of law! President Dwight Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958 and 3 years later, Congress made it official.

I never celebrated Law Day while in law school (probably because it lands during finals high-time), but today, I will take a step back to think about the current state of the legal profession, public interest law, and my role in it all.

How are you celebrating Law Day 2012?

If you’re looking for some Law Day fun, check out the ABA’s Law Day page.