Our Immigration & Citizenship Program is seeking legal intern during the fall school semester (September 5th – December 9th). The Legal Intern will play a vital role in our direct representation legal program, as well as in our large scale application Forums and Workshops. Our program is deeply embedded within the Houston immigrant community, and our Legal Intern will have the opportunity to interact with Houston-area immigrants seeking legal assistance on a daily basis. The position will be based at the Baker Ripley Neighborhood Center located in the Gulfton area of Houston as well as our Ripley House location on Navigation Blvd. near downtown Houston.
Does this sound like the opportunity for you? You can find the full post on PSJD.
by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships
Happy Friday! A lot of funding news this week, and some interesting observations on pro bono and legal technology and their continued potential to increase access to justice.
Here are the week’s headlines:
New York City Office of Civil Justice report – more NYC residents facing eviction have access to legal help;
Clients getting faster access to legal aid in Manitoba;
California governor vetoes bill requiring pro bono service before admittance to the bar;
Central New York legal aid receives federal funding for domestic abuse support programs;
Using retired lawyers to bridge the justice gap;
The Canadian Bar Association in British Columbia lobbies to add law graduates to loan forgiveness program;
How AI will transform the delivery of legal services;
New funding scheme for public interest litigation;
Big Law associates raise funds for legal aid in new funding scheme;
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
Super Music Bonus!
The summaries:
August 31, 2016 – “If you are a low-income tenant facing eviction, it may be easier than ever to get a lawyer these days, according to a report released by the city Tuesday. Mayor Bill de Blasio touted the findings by the Office of Civil Justice (OCJ), which show that now 27 percent of tenants in housing court for eviction proceedings have legal representation – up from just 1 percent in 2013. ‘As we face one of the most serious affordable housing crises in our city’s history, we have made an unprecedented commitment to provide legal assistance for low-income New Yorkers, and we are beginning to see the results of these efforts,’ said de Blasio. The first annual report from the newly-established office investigates the legal needs of low-income New Yorkers, and the effect of providing free and low-cost legal services to meet those needs, particularly when it comes to tenants facing evictions, harassment, and other housing-related problems. Since taking office, the mayor has invested more than $100 million annually in civil legal services, and as a result, evictions have fallen 24 percent in the last two years, according to the report.” (Fort Greene Focus)
August 31, 2016 – “Justice Minister Heather Stefanson is speeding up access to Legal Aid Manitoba. The change announced Wednesday will help lower-income Manitobans, Stefanson said. ‘Access to justice for all Manitobans is a cornerstone of our legal system and this change will help improve the process for individuals who require legal aid,’ Stefanson said. ‘Technology has made it possible for this process to move more quickly.’ To connect a new client with a lawyer, Legal Aid Manitoba uses an electronic application system that securely shares the individual’s application, court documents and any other relevant materials. Lawyers previously had 30 days to decide whether to accept the case; the province is cutting that period to 14. This change was made following consultations with Legal Aid Manitoba’s advisory committee, which includes representatives from the Criminal Defence Lawyers’ Association, the Legal Aid Lawyers’ Association, the Family Law Bar and the Manitoba Bar Association.” (Winnipeg Free Press)
August 31, 2016 – “The California Legislature passed a bill that would have required California’s up-and-coming lawyers to do pro bono work before gaining admittance to the State Bar. Gov. Jerry Brown, a lawyer, on Monday vetoed the bill. In a message accompanying his veto of Senate Bill 1257, Brown said that while he supports law students and lawyers providing pro bono legal services, ‘I don’t believe a state mandate can be justified.’ ‘Law students in California are now contending with skyrocketing costs – often more than $200,000 for tuition and room and board – and many struggle to find employment once they are admitted to the Bar,’ Brown wrote. ‘In this context, I believe it would be unfair to burden students with the requirements set forth in this bill.’ Senate Bill 1257, by Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, would have required applicants for membership in the State Bar to have completed at least 50 hours of supervised pro bono legal service. Instead, Brown wrote, the state should focus on lowering the cost of legal education. ‘By doing so, we could actually expand the opportunity to serve the public interest,’ he said.” (The Sacramento Bee)
September 2, 2016 – “The Legal Aid Society of Mid-York is receiving $600,000 in federal funding for domestic abuse support programs in central New York. The funding was allocated through the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women and is authorized through the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program. ‘This critical federal funding through the Department of Justice will help facilitate a wide range of programs to better assist domestic violence survivors,’ said [Senator Kirsten]Gillibrand. ‘Domestic violence is a serious problem and we need to work towards creating a safe environment for individuals and families. By increasing accessibility to legal services for survivors we can help provide the support and resources they need to be protected and put their lives back together.’ The Utica-based legal aid organization will use the money to provide legal representation, supportive services and outreach to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The group serves 12 counties in central New York.” (WIBX)
September 2, 2016 – “As the headline to a special report in The American Lawyer this week observes, ‘Baby Boomers are Retiring and Law Firms Aren’t Ready.‘ When we combine the vast numbers of law firm attorneys who are approaching career transition with the enormous systemic unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged, we are in a unique position to leverage these experienced lawyers. If even a small fraction of the retired, semi-retired, and transitioning baby-boom lawyers would engage in some form of meaningful pro bono work, they could have a sizeable impact on economic and social justice. Creating the infrastructure to support and sustain these new roles, however, is a significant and sensitive undertaking.” The American Lawyer examines efforts to bring retired lawyers to pro bono work. (The American Lawyer)
September 6, 2016 – “The Canadian Bar Association’s B.C. branch (CBABC) wants the provincial government to add lawyers with student debt to StudentAid BC’s loan forgiveness program. Michael Welsh, who was appointed bar president on August 15, said rural citizens, including small-business owners in remote communities, are suffering due to increasing attrition within the legal profession. Welsh noted that many rural lawyers are baby boomers and have reached the age of retirement” with no new lawyers coming in to replace them. “A CBABC letter to Premier Christy Clark lobbying to add lawyers to the loan forgiveness program noted that, because the average starting salary for a lawyer usually ranges between $25,000 and $45,000, working in a rural setting or trying to set up a practice is not cost-effective. The letter asks the provincial government to provide an annual 20% debt write-off rate over a five-year minimum – the same amount offered through the loan forgiveness program – to recent law school graduates willing to practice in rural communities.” (Business Vancouver)
September 6, 2016 – Forbes has an interesting if brief look at where legal technology has taken us so far in the delivery of legal services and predicts artificial intelligence will transform legal delivery and have a positive impact on access to justice. (Forbes)
September 7, 2016 – As the idea of “third party litigation funding” seems to be growing, here is a novel funding idea for public interest litigation from Australia. The Public Interest Advocacy Center “is joining with public litigation funders from around the world to establish a new funding scheme that will support PIAC’s public interest litigation. The scheme, which commenced this week, will allow PIAC’s public interest cases to go ahead in circumstances where the risk of an ‘adverse costs order’ would discourage clients from proceeding with their case. Under the Adverse Costs Order Guarantee Fund, clients will be indemnified so that they can proceed with their cases without having to risk their assets or income. ‘This is a great development for public interest litigation,’ said PIACCEO, Jonathon Hunyor. ‘Adverse costs orders are a powerful disincentive for clients weighing up whether or not to proceed with litigation. We hope that this scheme will grow to support PIAC’s public interest litigation into the future, facilitating test cases that otherwise could not proceed.’ PIAC is especially grateful to Woodford Litigation Funding Limited, which is the first partner in the ACO Guarantee Fund.” (PIAC News)
September 7, 2016 – “Using a fresh fundraising approach to support legal services for the poor, a group of Big Law associates announced on Wednesday its first grants to four legal services groups. The Associates Committee, which was launched last year by third-year Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom associate Corey Laplante, said the four will receive a total of $200,000 raised from 200 associates. Two groups are each getting $75,000 grants: the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights in New Orleans and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services in San Antonio. Two other organizations are receiving $25,000 apiece: the Innocence Project in New York City and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. In its first year, the Associates Committee limited its recruitment of associates to the five cities with the biggest lawyer populations: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Moving forward, the group will be recruiting associates from six other cities: Boston, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Austin and Miami. Associates must contribute $1,000 to be a member. Laplante, who works in Skadden’s Los Angeles office, said in an interview Wednesday that the committee got 84 grant applications. Instead of asking for lots of paperwork, the committee told applicants to submit a 60-second video shot on a smartphone describing how they would use the funds. The Associates Committee’s board selected 15 finalists, and then the entire membership voted for the four winners. The finalists submitted financial statements and other materials, but the videos were the centerpiece of the selection process.” (American Lawyer)
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is proud to present the 2016 Pro Bono Award to John Ting, co-founder and partner of Ting and Tran Law Firm in Dallas, Texas. The NAPABA Pro Bono Award recognizes attorneys for outstanding achievements in pro bono service that: 1) involved impact litigation to advance or protect civil rights, and 2) provided direct legal services to individuals in the furtherance of the administration of justice. In addition to being an accomplished and highly respected attorney, entrepreneur, and mentor in the legal community, John’s tireless efforts and unparalleled service on pro bono legal matters — in conjunction with his service to the community — exemplify the qualities and spirit of the award. (NAPABA)
Music Bonus!Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Delisa Morris.
September 8, 2016 at 1:36 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized
Photo: Brenda Gottesman – CC License
Employment with the U.S. Attorney’s Office offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated attorney: an opportunity to litigate a broad range of cases involving significant, complex issues on behalf of the United States in federal court being litigated today. Working in the Criminal Division, you will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal laws that protect life, liberty and property.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships
Happy Friday and welcome back to school! PSJD has many resources to help you with your internship and pro bono searches. Also check out the PSJD Resource Center for everything from application tips to job search strategies and self-assessment. For those of you interested in public interest in Canada, we have several new resources.
Here are the week’s headlines:
Missouri Governor can’t be appointed as public defender;
Legal Aid Ontario agrees to meet with staff lawyers’ union of choice;
Mississippi Access to Justice Commission celebrates 10th anniversary;
Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission convenes to advance access to justice;
Mae C. Quinn named director of new St. Louis office of the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center;
Conservation Law Foundation expands legal program for farms and food businesses;
Duquesne University School of Law’s new clinic to assist parents in school discipline cases;
The U.S. Army and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law launch new scholarship;
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
Super Music Bonus!
The summaries:
August 25, 2016 – “Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon won’t be returning to the courtroom anytime soon. A Cole County Circuit Court judge ruled Thursday that the state’s top public defender doesn’t have the authority to appoint the governor, or any private counsel, to argue a case. At issue was a decision earlier this month from Michael Barrett, the state’s lead public defender, to order Nixon to represent an indigent defendant, citing a provision of state law allowing him to delegate such a job to ‘any member of the state bar in Missouri’ in extraordinary circumstances. Fed up with an underfunded public defender system, he picked the most high-profile lawyer in Missouri: Nixon, a former Missouri attorney general who has had an active law license since 1981, and the person Barrett said is most responsible for the cuts to his department’s budget. On Thursday, the court denied a motion to withdraw the public defender assigned to the case and replace him with Nixon, on the grounds that only the courts have the power to appoint lawyers. Still, it was a move that made national headlines, shedding light on a funding problem Barrett said has led to backlogs of cases, overworked attorneys and even the violation of constitutional rights.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
August 25, 2016 – “After years of resistance, Legal Aid Ontario has agreed to come to the bargaining table to negotiate with its staff lawyers’ chosen union, the Society of Energy Professionals. Legal aid lawyers, who mounted an intense campaign on the LAO and the Ontario government in recent months, are calling this move a ‘significant breakthrough.’ In the days ahead, the lawyers say the union and LAO will enter into negotiations they hope will end in the recognition of the Society of Energy Professionals as their bargaining agent. ‘It’s a huge step,’ says legal aid lawyer Dana Fisher. ‘It’s a step that they’ve refused to take until now.’ Legal Aid Ontario says it has agreed to meet with union reps to find out what its employees are looking for. ‘At this point, we have agreed to meet with representatives of the Society of Energy Professionals to discuss arranging a vote to determine LAO’s staff lawyers’ wishes with regard to representation,’ said Graeme Burk, spokesman for LAO. ‘We are taking this step because LAO wants to know conclusively what our staff lawyers want with respect to representation.'” (Canadian Lawyer Magazine)
August 26, 2016 – “A group commissioned to help people who can’t afford an attorney is celebrating its 10 year anniversary by working to help more people. More than 600,000 Mississippians qualify for free legal help but there are not enough legal-aid attorneys. The Mississippi Access to Justice Commission works to provide legal help to Mississippians in civil cases. It could be child custody, guardianship or changing the name on a birth certificate. Some cases require an attorney, others the judge says can be handled by the individual. Access to Justice partners with agencies and private lawyers to provide legal advice and offer clinics. They’re hosting a summit to celebrate their 10th anniversary and devise more ways to help residents. They have an interactive website where people can find forms for civil cases, and they’re working on a mobile app.” (Mississippi Public Broadcasting)
August 26, 2016 – “The Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission met on Friday to discuss how to expand access to justice in civil matters across the state. Legal Services Corporation President James J. Sandman attended the meeting and discussed tactics for increasing access to justice in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission was established by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2014 to address the problem of the many low-income Oklahomans unable to receive legal representation on crucial civil legal matters. The Commission’s goal is to develop a strategic plan for improving the statewide delivery of civil legal services and reducing barriers to the justice system.” “Friday’s meeting highlighted what the Commission has already achieved and looked ahead to accomplishing new goals. Topics included a newly launched interactive website providing free legal information to low-income Oklahoma citizens and a statewide assessment survey on legal need.” (LSC Media Release)
August 26, 2016 – “Veteran litigator Mae C. Quinn has been named director of the new St. Louis office of the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, a public interest law firm that advocates for human rights and social justice through litigation. Most recently Quinn was a professor at Washington University School of Law, where she founded and directed the Juvenile Law and Justice Clinic. She is a national expert in criminal and juvenile law and has represented adult and child clients in trial-level and appellate courts across the country over the last two decades. The MacArthur Justice Center is based at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in Chicago. In addition to St. Louis and Chicago, the MacArthur Justice Center has offices in New Orleans and Oxford, Mississippi.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
August 26, 2016 – “Conservation Law Foundation is launching the first national program in its 50-year history, a multistate expansion of Legal Food Hub, an initiative that provides local farmers and food entrepreneurs with pro bono legal services. The Hub started in Massachusetts in 2014, and has since opened in Maine. It will be available in Rhode Island in October and in Connecticut by 2017. The Boston-based environmental advocacy group hopes to bring the program to other states over the next several years.” (Boston Globe)
August 29, 2016 – “Years of working in the Juvenile Division of the Allegheny County public defender’s office inspired Ms. [Tiffany] Sizemore-Thompson to create a pair of law clinics at Duquesne [University School of Law], where she is now an assistant clinical professor. The second, focusing on education law, began last week. Ms. Sizemore-Thompson will serve as the supervising attorney and professor, overseeing eight law students who will maintain a caseload of clients. Doctoral psychology students will work with schools to develop plans for returning students. ‘The school-to-prison pipeline is alive and well in Allegheny County,’ where school discipline issues are ‘critical,’ she said. ‘The clinic seeks to stop the problem by focusing on representing students and parents in school discipline cases.’ It’s one of several efforts underway locally to provide more support to families and lay the groundwork for future lawyers interested in pursuing what some legal experts say is an underrepresented field.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
August 30, 2016 – “The Army and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law have signed an agreement creating the U.S. Army Law Scholars Program — believed to be the first partnership between the Army and a major law school — that will allow qualifying officers and enlisted soldiers to pursue a legal education during their time of service. Qualifying soldiers, from both active duty and reserve personnel, will receive an approximately $75,000 nonresident scholarship (amounting to at least 50 percent of tuition) to the law school and be paired with both an alumni and student mentor for the duration of their time in Bloomington.” “Service members interested in becoming a U.S. Army Law Scholar must meet the traditional requirements of any other student admitted into the Maurer School of Law.” (Indiana University Bloomington News)
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:
The Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service awarded the 2016 Pro Bono Publico Award to the following:
Cleary Gottlieb, New York, NY (and other U.S. and international offices)
John Goss, Goss and Fentress, Norfolk, VA
Katten Muchin, Chicago, IL (and other U.S. and international offices)
Renee Schoenberg, DLA Piper, Chicago IL
Hillary Gaston Walsh, The Law Office of Hillary Gaston Walsh, South Korea
Their work is outstanding and inspiring. Watch the award videos here. Congratulations to all the award recipients!
Music Bonus!Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Delisa Morris.
The New York City Conflicts of Interest Board is seeking an Attorney for its Legal Advice Unit. The Board is an independent City agency and is responsible for administering and enforcing the City’s conflicts of interest and financial disclosure laws. (See the Board’s website at http://nyc.gov/ethics). The Board’s legal staff, consisting of eight attorneys, gives advice to the City’s public servants about whether their proposed conduct conforms to the requirements of the conflicts law, and also prosecutes suspected violations of the law. Under the supervision of the Board’s General Counsel, the successful candidate will conduct legal research; draft advisory opinions and staff letters; provide oral advice to City employees; and conduct training sessions. The successful candidate will also give written and oral advice regarding Local Law 16 of 2006, the restriction on gifts from lobbyists. Under the supervision of its Executive Director, the Board’s legal staff functions as a collegial, high quality law firm. The successful candidate must possess the maturity, discretion, and judgment necessary for the handling of a myriad of sensitive, and often confidential matters, and for the advising of public servants at all levels, including senior elected and appointed officials.
by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships
Happy Friday!
Here are the week’s headlines:
Illinois governor signs bill expanding legal aid for juveniles in murder or sex offense investigations;
Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2020;
Bloomberg Law contributor’s perspective on ABA’s “Future” Report;
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
Super Music Bonus!
The summaries:
August 22, 2016 – “Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed legislation that requires an attorney to be present when police question juveniles younger than 15 in murder or sex offense investigations. Illinois already mandates legal representation for children younger than 13 in those cases, even if they’re not the targets of the criminal probe. But lawmakers who sponsored the legislation argued 14- and 15-year-olds should receive legal protection, too. Rauner signed the bill Monday. Lawmakers say the new law is meant to eliminate false confessions.” (SFGate)
August 24, 2016 – While not public interest news per se, I always read this list each year before the 1Ls join us on campus. It’s a good reminder that not everyone has had the same experiences, and it’s a fun list to read. Enjoy! Beloit College Mindset List
August 25, 2016 – Bloomberg Law contributor Stephen Poor, Chair Emeritus, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, writes a response to the ABA’s Report on the Future of Legal Services in the United States. He notes “the Report does not simply focus on access-to-justice issues. Rather, it addresses many of the range of issues facing the entire legal profession, including Big Law — from diversity, to business model innovation, to challenges with the criminal justice system, to the lack of funding for legal services. While the problems it identifies are hardly new, the Report’s power lies in the aggregation of facts and the overall perspective.” He then identifies with the camp that feels the Report is “insufficiently bold.” After a critique of the report, he posits an idea regarding big law support of the development of legal technology to assist in the delivery of legal services. The article is an interesting read. (Bloomberg Law)
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:
When Steve Brust and a team from Smith, Gambrell & Russell decided to ramp up their pro bono involvement, it was clear they were ‘all in.’ ‘We’ve long supported Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and the delivery of legal services for the disadvantaged, but we know we can do more,’ Brust said. ‘We want to do the right thing for our community and we also want to do the right thing by training our new associates. Maybe with additional pro bono involvement we can do both.’ A conversation about these goals evolved into a new pro bono initiative: The Landlord/Tenant Pro Bono Project. It will provide legal assistance to low-income clients in housing disputes while giving new associates experience in client representation and court proceedings. Once a month at JALA, attorneys from the firm help interview clients during landlord-tenant intake and then accept pro bono cases. In turn, JALA provides training and expert resource guidance, such as recognizing and defining legal issues in landlord-tenant intake and common causes of action. (Jacksonville Daily Record)
Music Bonus!Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Delisa Morris.
Thousands of children come to the United States each year without a parent or legal guardian. Children placed in immigration court removal proceedings most often face court alone – without the help of a lawyer. Many of these children have been victims of abuse, abandonment, neglect, human trafficking or persecution—but need a lawyer to help them present their case in court to obtain relief from deportation and to navigate the complexities of the U.S. legal system. KIND’s mission is to find pro bono counsel for these children.
NALP is currently seeking nominations for the 2016 PSJD Pro Bono Publico Award. Any 2L or 3L who attends a PSJD subscriber school and has significant pro bono contributions is eligible for nomination. The deadline is Wednesday, August 31 at 5pm EST. Nomination packets should include the nomination form, nominee’s resume, and a nomination statement. Find complete details, including the Nomination Form, on PSJD’s Pro Bono Publico Award page.
by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships
Happy Friday! It is with great pleasure that we welcome the 2016-2017 PSJD Fellow Delisa Morris. She comes to us from Syracuse University College of Law. We’re so excited to work with her!
Here are the week’s headlines:
New ABA President Linda Klein announces Veterans Legal Services Initiative;
Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services requests budget supplement;
U.K. legal chatbot expanding to help the homeless;
ABA announces creation of Center of Innovation to increase access to justice;
DC Bar Foundation awards $950,000 in grants for foreclosure prevention and community redevelopment;
Free online site will answer legal questions in Mississippi;
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants;
Super Music Bonus!
The summaries:
August 10, 2016 – “ABA President Linda Klein has announced an effort to provide legal representation and resources for veterans. Klein says in a video that she became aware of the needs of veterans when members of her law firm volunteered at a homeless shelter. She learned that over half the needs of homeless veterans are legal. The ABA Veterans Legal Services Initiative launched by Klein will be led by a 20-member volunteer commission, according to a press release. The commission is expected to:
• Build a comprehensive website that informs veterans of legal issues and directs them to appropriate resources.
• Encourage law schools and bar associations to promote legal-services incubators that could help veterans while providing training to new and underemployed lawyers.
• Promote partnerships between doctors and lawyers to help solve veterans’ legal problems.
• Extend the National Pro Bono Celebration Week in late October to include Veteran’s Day, and sponsor additional volunteer efforts around Memorial Day.” (ABA Journal)
August 14, 2016 – “The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services is asking for a supplemental appropriation in January of over $2.8 million. John Pelletier, executive director of the commission, says lawmakers rejected an attempt earlier this year to get additional money requested in the two-year budget, but not approved. ‘For ’16 they gave us the amount to increase the hourly rate, but they zeroed out the cost increase, saying that is the second year of the biennium,’ he says. Pelletier says the increased need in the commission budget is driven by a number of factors. He says there are more cases being brought against the poor who can’t afford to pay for their own attorney, and the complexity of cases is increasing. He said lawmakers did fund an hourly increase for lawyers from $55 an hour to $60 an hour.” (Maine Public Broadcasting)
August 15, 2016 – Another legal tech update: “The DoNotPay chat bot, created by 19-year-old Joshua Browder from London, gained international attention in recent months for helping citizens overturn more than 160,000 parking tickets in the U.K. Now, the world’s first robot lawyer is expanding its range and offering legal aid to people who are facing homelessness due to evictions. The bot will ask users a series of questions, including why they are facing eviction, and then respond with a document with legal advice to support the user. Its services are currently supporting users in the United Kingdom with plans to offer support to the U.S.” (Forbes)
August 15, 2016 – “The American Bar Association announced today the creation of the Center for Innovation, a venture designed to advance the ABA’s efforts to improve the delivery of legal services to the public through innovative programs and initiatives. The center will drive innovation in the justice system and the legal profession by serving as a resource for ABA members, maintaining an inventory of the ABA’s innovation efforts and the efforts of the domestic and international legal services community, and operating a program of innovative fellowships to work with other professionals, such as technologists, entrepreneurs and design professionals, to create models that improve the justice system.” (ABA News)
August 16, 2016 – “The DC Bar Foundation (DCBF) awarded $950,000 in grants to five two-year projects focused on foreclosure prevention and community redevelopment. Lawyers funded by these grants will provide free civil legal assistance to DC residents living in poverty and who are facing situations including foreclosures, wrongful evictions, poor housing conditions, and expiring housing subsidies.” Follow the link for a complete list of grantees and details about their projects. (DC Bar Foundation)
August 18, 2016 – “Free legal advice to Mississippians who can’t afford an attorney goes online later this month, its sponsors say. ‘It’s a way to bring information to the public with answers to civil legal matters,’ said Tiffany Graves, executive director of the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, which is partnering with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project to offer the service. The online service, will provide information about common legal problems, such as divorce, child custody, housing, landlord-tenant disputes, land issues, trust and estate matters, will and probate matters, wage and employment issues, bankruptcy, and consumer disputes, Graves said.” (The Meridian Star)
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:
Thomas F. Garrett retired this week from the top post of the Legal Services Law Line of Vermont, where he had been the executive director since the Law Line formed in 1996. His last day on the job was Monday. In that post, Garrett managed a staff of attorneys who provide free consultation, advice, intake, referral and education for low-income Vermonters primarily through the Vermont Law Help hotline. The hotline, a joint project of Vermont Legal Aid and Law Line, is funded in part by the Legal Services Corp. Garrett also oversaw the Vermont Volunteer Lawyers Project, a cooperative effort of the Vermont Bar Association and Law Line. It is the only organized pro-bono legal services project in the state. Through Garrett’s efforts, Law Line received and implemented several technology innovation grants from the Legal Services Corp. Congratulations on your retirement and thank you for your service! (Times Argus)
Music Bonus!Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Delisa Morris.
The Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) seeks first- and second-year law student applicants for its summer internship program. CCLP is a public interest law and policy organization focused on reform of juvenile justice and other systems that affect troubled and at-risk children, and protection of the rights of children in those systems. The Center’s work covers a range of activities including research, writing, public education, media advocacy, training, technical assistance, administrative and legislative advocacy, and litigation. Based in Washington, DC, the Center’s staff work with federal, state, and local officials throughout the country on a range of issues that include reducing the unnecessary incarceration of youth, promoting racial and ethnic justice, and eliminating dangerous and inhumane conditions in facilities that house children.
Get a weekly summary of news items that affect the public service legal community, with an emphasis on funding, job market, law school initiatives, and access-to-justice developments.
