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 Lauren Forbes

Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT) is seeking a talented and experienced professional to join the team as the Women’s Program Coordinator. Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, the Women’s Program Coordinator will be a key member of LIFT’s team with the following responsibilities: (1) coordinate legal and social services for women participants; (2) systematize infrastructure and operations for women’s programming; (3) facilitate curriculum-based evening support group sessions, workshops, and classes; (4) conduct participant screenings; (5) identify and build organizational relationships with social service providers to ensure high impact referrals for LIFT’s participants and families; (6) serve as an ambassador for all LIFT programs; and (7) facilitate trainings for LIFT team members. The LIFT Team is collaborative, fast-paced, and maintains a sense of humor.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree, including LCSW/MSW;
• Self-starter, motivated, and committed to empowering women and improving the lives of children and families;
• Demonstrated successful program operations experience;
• Knowledge of organizations serving women citywide and public benefits mosaic;
• Proven success working with women, especially single mothers and grandmothers;
• Excellent communication skills, energy, and enthusiasm;
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, work independently and in a team environment;
• Interest and experience in Family Court, family law, child welfare and/or providing services to families;
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and
• Fluency in Spanish a plus – multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

To view full listing, visit PSLawNet (login required).

By Jamie Bence

In an editorial published today on AOL Government, Admiral Thad Allen, the former Commandant of the US Coast Guard, takes up the issue that PSLawNet has covered previously. In his piece, General Allen reminds us why public servants should not be demonized in the debate over budget cuts and slowing federal hiring:

In the current political climate and discourse over the national debt, we have done a poor job of distinguishing between the need for fiscal responsibility and the value of public service, which is enduring.

While politicians necessarily haggle over policy, budgets and the size of government, it is worth remembering that it does not serve any of us as Americans when government employees are denigrated or vilified. We all want the best government possible, and our aim should be to encourage, not discourage, bright, capable people from serving their fellow citizens.

The article points out that, while a government job may be “just a paycheck” for some, and like any institution, the government makes mistakes, civil servants are by and large individuals who make personal sacrifices for a greater cause. Moreover, they provide essential services that make resolve problems, big and small, in everyday life:

Imagine what it would be like taking your children to school and finding no one there to teach them, calling 9-1-1 and having no one respond to your emergency, having no sanitation workers to pick up your trash, no one building or maintaining our roads, no one guarding our borders, no one manning or embassies abroad, or no one providing health care to our wounded warriors or sending out Social Security checks.

The truth is that each and every day, civil servants are finding solutions to serious problems, assisting Americans in need, keeping us safe and advancing our national interests.

To read Admiral Allen’s complete piece, click here.

By Jamie Bence

Stephen Reba is an Equal Justice Works Fellow (Class of 2009) working with the Barton Juvenile Defender Clinic at the Emory University School of Law. He is a native of Decatur, GA and is a 2008 graduate of Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Reba spent the year before his fellowship working with abused and neglected children and on the issues that affect them.  His project, Appeal for Youth, seeks reform in Georgia through the holistic appellate representation of youthful offenders in our juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Tell us a little bit about your proposal process. What made you want to try for an Equal Justice Works fellowship? How did you select your sponsoring organization?

My project, Appeal for Youth, provides holistic, post-conviction representation to youthful offenders in Georgia’s juvenile detention centers and prisons. We wage legal battles to free our clients from secure detention and to ensure fair and humane treatment during their incarceration.  In doing this, we often associate private attorneys from some of Atlanta’s largest law firms to help take on the fight for these youth.

When I initially came up with the general idea for the project, I went to the director of my now host organization (where I interned as a rising 2L) to make a pitch.  After agreeing to serve as host, we brainstormed about funding. Considering our target group was youthful offenders who committed serious and often violent offenses, we needed a funding source that truly cared about justice and was willing to focus on an (unsympathetic to many) underserved population. An Equal Justice Works fellowship was our first thought.

In crafting my Equal Justice Works proposal, I had multiple meetings with my host organization where we hammered out details and logistics. Throughout this joint process, the project came to life.

How does this fellowship fit with goals you had in law school or before? Is this the sort of work you envisioned yourself doing?

Both as a law student and as a lawyer following law school, I worked with youth in Georgia’s child welfare system. My current project is derived from that work and the often seamless progression of foster children into our juvenile and criminal justice systems. Through my work as a law student, I knew that I wanted to practice in the area of public interest juvenile law.

What is a typical day like in your fellowship? Is there such a thing as a typical day?

A typical day in my fellowship brings me to middle and south Georgia. The vast majority of our juvenile detention centers, prisons, and consequently, habeas courts, are in rural Georgia.  With a large caseload and a project driven by attorney-client contact, I spend much of my time on Georgia’s country roads, zipping by pecan trees and churches on my way to or from a client visit or court appearance.

Where do you see yourself in the future? What roll you think your fellowship might play in your professional trajectory, going forward?

Through Appeal for Youth, we’ve created a project that fights for kids who have been discarded by our system. We’ve not only won the release of many clients, we’ve also established partnerships that place our clients in a position where they can successfully reintegrate into our communities. In my view, no policy or legislative reform can bring about the same level of systemic change that begins on the ground. Equal Justice Works has enabled me to begin the fight for systemic reform in Georgia, and I plan on fighting until it’s won.

What would you say are the 3 most important pieces of advice for rising 3L’s who are putting together their fellowship applications? What about for students trying to decide if the program might be right for them?

The most important piece of advice I can offer is collaboration with your host organization during the application process. This partnership allows you to shape your project idea, which is essential to a strong application. Next, I suggest that you begin the application process sooner rather than later. If you’re going to meet and draft, meet and draft, you’ll need time. Finally, be passionate. If you’ve taken the time to come up with a project that will impact a group of people you care about, you clearly care. Let that passion show!

As an aside: Tell us a little bit about your work for the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. How did you end up writing for them? What has your experience been like?

I hooked up with the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange because they were looking for a voice working with youthful offenders. I’ve used that opportunity to tell some of my clients’ stories. I’ve enjoyed being able to venture outside of legal writing and to focus on aspects of my clients’ childhoods for which there is no other forum. I’m privileged to be a part of the great work JJIE is doing.

By Jamie Bence

Today’s job comes to us from Philly!

Mazzoni Center, a comprehensive LGBT Health & Wellness Center located in Philadelphia, is seeking to hire a dynamic and knowledgeable lawyer to head its legal department. The legal director reports directly to the executive director and their duties involve: (1) direct legal representation, (2) supervision of legal staff and management of legal clinic, (3) assistance in grant writing and associated activities, and (4) publicity and community outreach.

Mazzoni Center Legal Services receives approximately 400 requests for assistance each year. Traditionally, our largest practice areas included employment discrimination, discrimination in public accommodations, and family law. Our work is challenging, as PA lacks statewide protection against discrimination based upon LGBT status, and much of our work involves the enforcement of local county and municipal anti-discrimination ordinances. Our work has also involved an interesting mix of both “direct service” and “impact” litigation, and we are the home of Temple Law School’s “Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Law Clinical Course” which is taught on-site by the legal director. Legal Services also has standing relationships with both the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Rutgers School of Law – Camden.

To view full listing, visit PSLawNet (login required).

By Jamie Bence

Across the pond, a story similar to one we blogged about last week, as legal aid there faces deep cuts from Parliament. As in the United States, the proposed cuts to service providers have sparked controversy and debate over the role of Legal Services in the justice system.
BBC News has outlined the major provisions of the legislation as follows:

Under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, ministers say they want to end legal aid for:

• Private family law cases, such as divorce and custody battles
• Clinical negligence claims
• Employment and education law
• Immigration, other than where someone is detained
• Some debt, housing and benefit issues.

The government says that domestic violence cases will still receive legal aid and it intends to expand the definition to include mental and sexual abuse.

Sir Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Legal Services Commission, released a statement, saying:

‘The Legal Services Commission is committed to playing its part in delivering these reforms, to ensure there is a sustainable legal aid scheme for the future, targeted at those who need help most.”

The BBC reports that Justice Secretary Ken Clarke had a different take on the proposals:

Mr Clarke has told MPs that the current system “too often encourages people to bring their problems before the courts, even when they are not the right place to provide good solutions and sometimes for litigation that people paying out of their own pocket would not have pursued.”

However, whether the legislation will save money in the long term remains a point of controversy. In an op-ed, Peter Lodder, chairman of the Bar Council, argues:

Legal aid is an insurance policy, paid for through our taxes, that is there for people when something goes wrong. It will come as a shock to many, at what is often among the most stressful times in their lives, to discover that they are being left by the roadside with no one available to assist them.

Worse still, it is far from clear these proposals will even save money. They will disrupt the courts, increase costs and cause delays. Stressed litigants in person, unfamiliar with their surroundings and not used to marshalling their arguments, will prolong hearings. These concerns are not confined to the Bar Council; they have been echoed by the Judges’ Council of England and Wales.

The reforms have had a startling impact on the Immigration Advisory Service, which had 14 branches handling thousands of immigration cases until recently, when their doors closed due to budget cuts. BBC reports:

In a statement, the IAS said: “The government’s reforms include the removal of immigration from the scope of legal aid, and a 10% cut in legal aid fees for refugees seeking asylum within the UK. Immigration accounts for around 60% of IAS’s income.

“There are few organisations that could cope with the compound effect of removal of immigration from the scope of legal aid and a cut in fees for asylum clients.”

While it remains to be seen what budget cuts legal services will face stateside, the problems associated with drastic reductions in legal services are already clear in the UK.

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

Student loans expert Heather Jarvis is hosting a webinar on public service loan forgiveness tomorrow, July 12 at 4pm EST. It will be followed by a second session on July 28th. Check out the details below.

Heather loves Public Service Loan Forgiveness!  But the requirements can be confusing.  Heather knows how to break it down for you step-by-step so it makes sense once and for all.

Bring your toughest questions because the expert is in the house!  A must attend for government and nonprofit employees.

For complete details and to sign up, visit Heather’s Page.

By Jamie Bence

Today, the Wall Street Journal examines a growing trend among law schools to offer more practice-oriented courses in the wake of the recession. The article points out that these changes are largely in response to employers’ criticism of newly minted attorneys:

“Law firms are saying, ‘You’re sending us people who are not in a position to do anything useful for clients.’ This is a first effort to try and fix that,” says Larry Kramer, the law dean at Stanford.

The moves come amid a prolonged downturn in the legal job market. Only about one-quarter of last year’s graduating law-school classes—down from 33% in 2009—snagged positions with big law firms, according to the National Association for Law Placement, an organization that collects employment data.

The article also points out the incongruities between law schools and other professional schools, which typically take a more practice-oriented approach. Changes being implemented at several law schools are highlighted in the article:

Indiana University Maurer School of Law started teaching project management this year and also offers a course on so-called emotional intelligence. The class has no textbook and instead uses personality assessments and peer reviews to develop students’ interpersonal skills.

New York Law School hired 15 new faculty members over the past two years, many directly from the ranks of working lawyers, to teach skills in negotiation, counseling and fact investigation. The school says it normally hires one or two new faculty a year, and usually those focused on legal research.

And Washington and Lee University School of Law completely rebuilt its third-year curriculum in 2009, swapping out lectures and Socratic-style seminars for case-based simulations run by practicing lawyers.

A few elite players also are making adjustments. Harvard Law School last year launched a problem-solving class for first-year students, and Stanford Law School is considering making a full-time clinical course—which entails several 40-hour plus weeks of actual case work—a graduation requirement.

As the PSLawNet Blog has noted in the past, it will be interesting to see how a movement to more experiential learning models may impact public interest programming at law schools.  Clinical programs, externships, and pro bono work are already among the main avenues through which students can get hands-on legal experience, so it’s possible that a push toward more experiential learning programs may lead to a boost in public interest opportunities.

For more information on specific changes that schools are implementing, read the complete article here.

By Jamie Bence

For our friends north of the border and aspiring Canadians, today’s job comes from Legal Aid Ontario.

Legal Aid Ontario has a need for Staff lawyers with family law experience to fill a 3 to 6 month contract positions in our Client Service Centre. In this Staff Lawyer role, the incumbents will be required to work on the phone giving summary legal advice to individuals interested in pursuing legal aid assistance.  Work hours are flexible and  telecommuting is a possibility.

Following the conclusion of the contract, successful applicants will also have the opportunity to apply to join Legal Aid Ontario’s Lawyer Workforce Strategy – a talent management program that provides lawyers with an opportunity to learn and work in a number of Legal Aid Ontario’s practice areas and departments. This program not only offers Legal Aid Lawyers with a varied, challenging career, it also provides our clients with highly skilled, well-rounded lawyers.

For complete listing, visit PSLawnet (login required).