by Kristen Pavón

At a rules hearing in Wisconsin, more than two dozen legal professionals told the Supreme Court that they support a rule change requiring circuit court judges to appoint lawyers in some civil cases in which basic human needs were at stake.

This suggestion comes after the realization that pro se programs and legal aid organizations are just not enough.

Opposition to the idea is rooted in its unknown costs.

“The costs are unknown and could be huge,” said David Callender of the Wisconsin Counties Association. “The argument is always that it saves money on the back end. But we just don’t know.”

People have dubbed the idea — Civil Gideon — after the landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright, which established a poor defendant’s right to a free lawyer in a criminal cases.

There is still a lot of skepticism about how the program would work and if it would be worthwhile.

Get more details here.

My guess is that it would work the same way the public defender program does. Some states have tried similar programs. Do you know more about these programs?

What do you think about Civil Gideon? A workable solution?

by Kristen Pavón

An article in U.S. News and World Report has some great advice for getting into the non-profit world, especially if you’re looking to transition into it from the corporate arena.

Some of the advice, we’ve already heard — network, meet people who work in the field you’re trying to break into and stay up-to-date on non-profit news.

However, there are a couple of pointers that you may have never thought of before!

Become a “slasher.” (e.g. sales rep/literacy mentor). This could play out in two ways. Slashing can help you transition from your current field into a non-profit job. If that’s your target, Alboher suggests you hold onto your day job while you dip into the nonprofit world on the side (using the suggestions below). By taking the slash approach, you’ll be able to continue earning a living and simultaneously build skills and relationships to help you transition to the non-profit sector. Keep in mind, you may earn less in a new non-profit job, so your financial plan may include saving some money while you are planning your career change.

On the other hand, you may wish to create a permanent “slash” career, where you have one foot each planted in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds. Either way, follow the advice below and carefully carve out time for each of the sides of your “slash.”

Consult. Take on a consulting project for a nonprofit as a way to showcase your skills. If you choose to work for free, make sure you’re building relationships, knowledge, or something else to help you as you try to find a paying job. Non-profits appreciate and seek employees who are passionate about their missions, so it makes sense to identify issues and organizations you may want to work with for the long term.

Remember, you can always find non-profit legal career resources at PSLawNet!

Read more here.

Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC) is looking for a deserving law school student with a demonstrated commitment to mental health advocacy to serve as a Summer 2012 Edward F. Hennessey Fellow.

MHLAC an independent state agency of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Its mission is to help children and adults with mental disabilities by providing advice and direct legal representation.

MHLAC covers a wide range of legal issues in areas that include access to services, treatment, custody and visitation, guardianship, insurance, education, housing and inpatient and institutional rights.

If you’re interested, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

I’ve been a bit quiet on the Internets today, and here’s why!

Fortune’s Most Powerful WomenVirtual Summit 2011 (you can still register) is going on today and tomorrow, and there are lots of great interviews and sessions with incredible women leaders.

I listened in on a session called “Your Network for Social Good” with Gerri Elliott, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer of Juniper; Cheryl Fields Tyler, board member for Not for Sale; and Alyse Nelson, co-founder, president and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership.

The panelists focused on how technology can further non-profits’ missions and take their efforts to another level.

Here are a few of my notes from the program:

1. The online social network has become important for businesses in general but the person-to-person network is still important and should not be neglected.

2. Technology has allowed non-profits to give the community tools for education (the example that was given was Not for Sale’s online SlaveryMap that shows users where in the world reports of trafficking have occurred).

3. Technology and social media have created a global network that enables users to learn best practices from other users across the world.

4. Non-profits are just beginning to scratch the surface in terms integrating technology into their goals and missions.

How are legal-related non-profits using technology? I want to know!

by Kristen Pavón

If you are a staff attorney/law clerk/intern for a legal services organization or public interest law firm, you know that interviewing clients is an important part of what you do. It’s a critical skill that can always use honing.

I came across a great interviewing tip sheet focused on interviewing low-income clients in my inbox and thought it could be helpful for you!

Here are a few of the highlights:

1. Be Prepared

Have copies of all forms your client may need to fill out or take home with them. Find out ahead of time whether they anticipate coming to the office with anyone and make adjustments (ex. kids, relatives). If there are special parking arrangements, make sure you let the client know.

2. Introductions

Start with small talk. This may be the first time your client is in a law office and a) may be nervous and b) may not know what’s going to happen next. Also, depending on your practice area, the client’s issues may be emotionally trying for them — so ease them into it.

3. Lay out the Agenda

First, explain your role in his or her case (direct representation, no relationship just yet, intern, etc.). Next, give the client a roadmap of how the meeting will go so they know what to expect — you’ll ask them to tell you why he or she came in, explain that you’ll occasionally jot down notes, you’ll interrupt him or her with more specific questions, etc. Also, talk about confidentiality.

4. Start with open-ended questions.

This allows you to get a lot of information right at the beginning and you can choose what issues to focus on next.

5. Listen!

Actively listen. Give the clients nonverbal and verbal cues that you’re listening and you understand what they’re saying.

6. Follow-up.

Make sure you clarify any lingering issues. You want a full picture of what’s going on.

7. Summarize.

Before you let the client go, summarize the information they’ve given you to make sure you’ve gotten the whole story.

8. Is there anything else?

Ask this question. Always. You never know.

9. Future Communication

Talk to the client about how you will communicate with them — email, phone, work phone, etc. Also, set up your next date, time and place for next contact.

For more helpful tips about interviewing, check out this great slideshow from the Legal Aid Association of California.

What are your tried-and-true interviewing tips?

Kentucky Equal Justice Center is looking for an attorney committed to public interest advocacy and with experience in employment law to serve as staff for KEJC’s Workers’ Rights Project.

The Employment Law Attorney will provide services other than direct representation of clients. The attorney will work as a multi-forum advocate for low wage and non-traditional workers through partnerships, policy advocacy, impact litigation and community education.

Is this just what you were looking for? Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

Another great legal aid program bites the dust.

The Florida Bar Foundation is the only statewide organization in Florida that provides funding for legal aid (and does so without strings) and promotes improvements in addressing the civil legal needs of the poor.

The FBF has already suspended funding for the Florida Law School Civil Clinics and Florida Public Service Fellows programs. Now, the Foundation’s Legal Aid Summer Fellowship program is also being suspended. The good people at the FBF expect that funding for the Summer Fellowship program will be suspended for several years, possibly.

This is a sad day for civil legal aid in Florida. I was a Legal Aid Summer Fellow in 2010 and the amount of legal work fellows accomplish in ten weeks is incredible. In ten weeks, I was able to meet and interview with more than 60 clients, offer advice to almost all of them, and draft over 20 legal documents for pending litigation. And that was just me. The other 39 fellows did the same, if not more, I’m sure.

Let’s do a bit of math, shall we? In theory, the 2010 summer fellows funded by the FBF helped 2,400 clients and wrote 800 legal documents. That’s a big hit for legal aid organizations in Florida.

The benefits that the fellows received from the program are immeasurable. Fellows were able to build relationships with attorneys, save some money (the pay is $5,000 for rising 2Ls and $7,000 for rising 3Ls — paid for my Barbri course!), learn the ropes and do some really satisfying work.

I hope the program comes back sooner than later.

The Foundation’s main source of support comes from the Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA) Program. However, Foundation grants also are supported by gifts from Florida attorneys, law firms, corporations, foundations and other individuals.

by Kristen Pavón

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of integration in Memphis City schools, WMC-TV ran a story about the beginning of desegregation in Memphis. It profiles Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, whose daughter was one of the thirteen children who became known as the Memphis 13.

Kyles was the head of the NAACP’s Education Committee in 1961 and was part of the bold plan to begin desegregation at city schools with 13 first graders.

“In my own case, my daughter was five years old, and I had to give some thought to putting a five-year-old in that position,” said Kyles.  “But we said, well, it’s got to be done.  If if has to be done, we will do it.”

Kyles’ daughter and 12 other children became known as the Memphis 13.  While Kyles has marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. and been involved in the fight for civil rights his whole life, he was stunned by the intense anger of people who did not want white and black children to attend school together.

Kyles said police had to surround his daughter’s school to keep mobs away, but even some police ordered to protect them hurled racial insults.

Kyles said the courage those 13 first graders and their parents showed is something people of all races should be proud of.

Interesting perspective. Read the entire story here.

By: Steve Grumm

Catch SCOTUS fever!  The Atlantic’s got “A Constitutional-Law Nerd’s Take on Upcoming Supreme Court Cases.”  The Washington Post’s Interweb site has some great SCOTUS content up as well, including coverage of the fact that retired justice John Paul Stevens – who is one sharp-witted nonagenarien – is as active off the bench as he was on it.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks a Staff Attorney in its Philip Merrill Environmental Center headquarters office located in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional non-profit conservation organization working solely to save the Bay. Established in 1967, CBF has a staff of approximately 185 employees working in offices in Annapolis and Salisbury, Maryland; Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C., and in 17 field education program locations.

CBF seeks to employ strategic litigation to reduce nutrient and toxic pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. The Staff Attorney will undertake legal and factual research to develop and support proposed and pending litigation designed to aid in Bay restoration.

The position requires an Attorney who is able to handle complex litigation from inception to trial, as well as be responsible for day to day case management. The staff attorney will report directly to the Litigation Vice President.

For more information about CBF and to apply, see the listing at PSLawNet.