Attention students! The Virginia State Bar (VSB) Local Government Fellowship seeks to attract promising future attorneys to the practice of local government law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. To this end, the Board of Governors of the VSB Local Government Section will award a $4,000 fellowship to an outstanding first or second-year law student who has committed to working full-time for a minimum of 10 weeks at a Virginia local government attorney’s office during the summer of 2016, or divide the fellowship between two students working full-time for a minimum of 5 weeks each. The Fellow will also have the opportunity to submit an article on a local government topic or an interview for potential publication in the VSB’s quarterly Journal of Local Government Law.

Sound like you? Then check out their website for more information.

For additional funding opportunities, head on over the PSJD for national and regional funding opportunities.

by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships

Happy Friday!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• UCLA to provide major new services to veterans;
• DLA Piper adds pro bono counsel in D.C.;
• Maryland relaunches Access to Justice Commission;
• Texas Appleseed celebrates 20 years of service;
• Ohio legal aid adds service for veterans;
• Social Justice Hackathon winners present ideas;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

January 28, 2016 – “UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald today announced a stronger academic affiliation to benefit our nation’s veterans as UCLA committed to providing $1.15 million annually in support of new programs and services, approximately $200,000 of in-kind contributions and $300,000 a year in fair-market rent for the continued use of Jackie Robinson Stadium. New and expanded services will include mental health, family support, legal advocacy and recreation services.” The new initiative includes “$400,000 annually to expand and relocate the UCLA Veterans Legal Clinic to provide enhanced legal services to veterans on the West Los Angeles VA campus, emphasizing the benefits of advocacy and the legal needs of homeless veterans.” (UCLA Newsroom)

January 28, 2016 – “One of the rarest areas for lateral hires has a new face: Suzanna Brickman joined DLA Piper as full-time pro bono counsel. Brickman becomes one of the global firm’s seven pro bono lawyers, some of whom work on cases the attorneys handle and some of whom work with the nonprofit the firm owns, New Perimeter. Brickman said she’ll split her time between New Perimeter and projects in the U.S., which focus on veterans, criminal justice, domestic violence, education, fighting hunger and access-to-justice legal work.” (National Law Journal)(subscription required)

February 1, 2016 –  “The University of Victoria Faculty of Law has established the Access to Justice Centre for Excellence with plans for five research projects to help determine need in the province. Kathryn E. Thomson, who helped develop the centre, says the centre is preparing for the two-part research colloquium to take place in May and September of this year, ‘just to talk about the research needs in British Columbia and the role ACE plays in helping to support and facilitate or partner in those research needs.’ There are also five projects on the go for the justice centre at the moment, the Data Map Project, Justice Integration Project, the Justice Metrics Conversation, the Access to Justice Education Project, and the Access and Information Technology Project.” (Canadian Lawyer)

February 1, 2016 – “Rep. Elijah Cummings and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh will launch the newly re-formed Maryland Access to Justice Commission on February 2, 2016. The renewed commission is an independent entity devoted to driving systemic change in Maryland’s justice system. Among the commission’s foremost goals are improving Marylanders’ awareness of their legal rights and providing all residents equal access to justice.” “[T]he Access to Justice Commission plans to back legislation in the General Assembly to provide lawyers in custody and domestic violence protective-order cases to those who can’t afford them. They also aim to collect data to better understand how poor people fare in the civil courts. The commission existed previously as a project of the state judiciary but had become defunct.”(Maryland Access to Justice Commission)(The Baltimore Sun)

February 1, 2016 – “A legal organization that has spurred big changes in Texas through lobbying and litigation is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded in 1996, Texas Appleseed works to find justice and solutions to social and economic problems for underrepresented Texans, such as children, disabled people and low-income families. By galvanizing pro bono efforts of major Texas law firms, the nonprofit works toward change by lobbying the state, city and counties for new laws, and by using targeted litigation to force change.” Congratulations! (Texas Lawyer)

February 2, 2016 – “Legal Aid of the Bluegrass recently advanced its goal of increasing legal services to veterans of the U.S. military. The veteran population is underserved in the communities of Legal Aid’s geographic area, according to information reported to the legal service agency. Potential clients now have a dedicated intake hotline available for advice and answers to their legal questions about civil matters. The veterans hotline is 866-516-3054. Legal Aid has an attorney designated for veterans services. That attorney is available for general advice and is accredited for appeals of Veterans Administration disability determinations.” (Cincinnati.com)

February 3, 2016 – “Miguel Willis, a second-year law student at Seattle University, wants to do something about [the proper access to legal aid] problem. And that’s why he was inspired to create the Social Justice Hackathon, a two-day coding event sponsored by Seattle University which brought together 70 technology innovators and law professionals to address specific issues related to legal aid.” “The hackathon took place last November, and three teams moved on to develop fully functioning apps and web pages addressing a selection of obstacles in legal aid access. Those three winning teams will present their ideas to legal aid organizations and the public Wednesday night at the Social Justice Hackathon Demo Day.” “‘The core purpose of the hackathon is to solve real problems,’ Willis said. ‘These are all problems that legal aid organizations have faced, and these are solutions that legal aid organizations can use.'” (GeekWire)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Equal Justice Works is excited to announce the Rural Summer Legal Corps program which connects public interest law students with LSC-funded civil legal aid organizations to address pressing legal issues facing rural communities.

Applications must be submitted by February 29 for the 31 positions open nationwide. Participants must complete 300 hours of service by August 31, 2016 to receive the $4,000 stipend.

More information can be found below and at www.rurallegalcorps.org. Please share this opportunity with any students who may be interested! Questions can be directed to ruralcorps@equaljusticeworks.org.

SERVICE

The Rural Summer Legal Corps program will operate between May-August 2016. Participants will begin the summer with intensive training from poverty law experts on housing, domestic violence, public benefits, migrant farmworkers, Native American, and family law. After the training, the law students will travel directly to their host site to begin their 8-10 week placement.

Participants will build their legal skills in various areas, such as direct legal services, outreach and education, and capacity building.

OPEN POSITIONS

Position descriptions and more information on the Legal Aid Providers can be found on our website. Applications must be submitted here by February 29.

HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION

It is the participant’s responsibility to obtain housing and ensure adequate transportation throughout the summer placement. Legal Aid Providers (host organizations) will provide general information, however it is not the responsibility of the legal aid provider (host organization) to provide direct housing or transportation assistance.

ELIGIBILITY

• Attend an Equal Justice Works member school.
• Complete their first or second year of law school by the start of their summer placement.
• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident (e.g., green card).
• Pass a criminal background check. Applicants are not disqualified for most criminal records.
• Possess a valid driver’s license and access to adequate transportation during summer placement.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING

There are two funding options for Rural Summer Legal Corps members. As shown in the table below, the standalone option is favorable for applicants who have significant outside funding from their law school or another source.

It’s Feburary! Time to start applying to some of these great public interest positions! Find your region below to learn more about job opportunities and public interest events happening in your area this month. (Click image to enlarge map)

Here are February’s Regional Highlights:

West/Rocky Mountain: Directing Attorney – Children and Youth Project (Seattle, WA); Directing Attorney – Economic Justice Project (Seattle, WA); 2016 QLaw Foundation Sher Kung Summer Fellowship (Wenatchee, WA); Summer 2016 Judicial Externs (Salem, OR); Research & Writing Attorney (Boise, ID); Summer 2016 Internships/Externships (Boise, ID); Legal Fellow – Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (Salt Lake City, UT); Assistant Attorney General (Phoenix, AZ); Summer Clerkship (Denver, CO); 2016 Summer Intern, Migrant Farm Worker Division (Denver, CO); 2016 Summer Intern, Migrant Farm Worker Division (Various Locations, CO); Emmett/Frankel Fellowship in Environmental Law and Policy (Los Angeles, CA); Legal Fellows Program (San Francisco, CA); Teaching Fellow for Stanford Law (Stanford, CA); Fair Housing Coordinator (Santa Clara, CA); Assistant Federal Defender – Temporary Position (Sacramento, CA); Direct Representation Attorney (Merced, CA); Public Interest Internship: Education Advocacy (Los Angeles, CA); Public Interest Internship: Child Advocacy (Los Angeles, CA); Attorney – Health Consumer Center (Oakland, CA); Intermediary Liability Fellow (Stanford, CA); Summer 2016 Judicial Externship Program (Los Angeles, CA); Summer 2016 Litigation Internship (Torrance, CA); Summer Intern (San Francisco, CA); 2016 Pro Bono Scholars Program (Los Angeles, CA); CA Attorney General Summer Legal Intern (San Francisco, CA); Staff Attorney (San Mateo, CA); Spring Law Clerk Positions (San Francisco, CA)

Midwest: Assistant State’s Attorney II – With Underfill (Bismarck, ND); Assistant U.S. Attorney – Civil Division (Wichita, KS); Managing Attorney, Community Economic Development Program (St. Louis, MO); Summer Law Clerk (St. Paul, MN); Robins Kaplan Fellowship Attorney (Minneapolis, MN); Assistant United States Attorney (Hammond, IN); 2016 Law Clerk Position (Ann Arbor, MI); 2016 Summer Law Clerk Position (Ann Arbor, MI); Michigan Clinical Law Fellow – Entrepreneurship Clinic (Ann Arbor, MI); Michigan Clinical Law Fellow: Community and Economic Development Clinic (Ann Arbor, MI); Executive Director (Columbus, OH); Summer Intern (Cincinnati, OH); Managing Attorney (Steubenville, OH); Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Fellow (Dayton, OH); Part Time Extern – Capital Habeas Unit – Summer 2016 (Columbus, OH); Full-time extern – Capital Habeas Unit – Summer 2016 (Columbus, OH); Summer 2016 and Spring 2016 Internships and Fellowships – Unpaid (Chicago, IL); Summer 2016 and Spring 2016 Internships and Fellowships – Paid (Chicago, IL); Intern (Chicago, IL); Staff Attorney II (Chicago, IL)

Southeast: Managing Attorney (Louisville, KY); Faculty Position Criminal Law and Procedure (Chapel Hill, NC); Public Interest Summer Clerkship (Asheville, NC); Summer Intern (Raleigh, NC); Summer Internship (Memphis, TN); Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative Coordinator (East Point, GA); Attorney (Macon, GA); Assistant United States Attorney (Tampa, FL); Assistant Director for the Academic Support Programs (Miami, FL); Human Rights Attorney (Sarasota, FL); 2016 Summer Internship (Montgomery, AL); Managing Attorney (New Orleans, LA); Summer 2016 Capital Litigation & Policy Law Clerk (Austin and Houston, TX); 2016 Pro Bono Scholars Program (Dallas and Houston, TX); 2016 Summer Law Fellowship (Houston, TX); Summer 2016 Legal Intern (San Antonio/Pearsall, TX); Staff Attorney – Veteran Advocacy Project (San Antonio, El Paso, and Weslaco, TX); Staff Public Defender (Rio Grande Valley, TX); Staff Attorneys – Civil Division (All TRLA Office Locations, TX); Staff Attorneys – Defender Division (Various Locations, TX)

Mid-Atlantic: LSAC Diversity Initiatives 2016 Summer Intern (Newtown, PA); Community Advocate (Melcroft, PA); Legal Intern (Washington, PA); Summer Law Intern (Pittsburgh, PA); Attorney (Arlington, VA); Attorney – Office of Chief Counsel, Administrative General Law Section (Arlington, VA); Attorney – Office of Chief Counsel – Diversion and Regulatory Policy Section (Arlington, VA); Pro Bono Fellow (Richmond, VA); JustChildren Intern (Charlottesville, VA); Staff Attorney (Norfolk and Hampton, VA); Part Time Attorney (Springfield, VA); Civil Advocacy Program Summer Intern (Charlottesville, VA); Managing Attorney (Baltimore, MD); Staff Attorney – CINA – FT Temp (Hughesville, MD); Staff Attorney (Baltimore, MD); Staff Attorney (Landover, MD); Trial Attorney – Child Support Services Division (Washington, DC); Director of the Departmental Ethics Office (Washington, DC); Chief, Educational Opportunities Section (Washington, DC); Chief, Housing and Civil Enforcement Section (Washington, DC); 2016 Pro Bono Scholars Program (Washington, DC); Attorney – Office of the Assistant Attorney General (Washington, DC); Attorney Advisor (Washington, DC); Director of Advocacy (Washington, DC); General Counsel – Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (Washington, DC); Investigator: Criminal Justice Research and Writing Project (Washington, DC); Young Center Supervising Attorney (Washington, DC); Attorney Advisor (Washington, DC); Senior Staff Attorney (Washington, DC); Environmental Law Staff Attorney (Washington, DC); Summer 2016 Internship (Washington, DC)

Northeast: Staff Attorney (Various locations, NH); Summer 2016 Internship (Cambridge, MA); Lichten & Liss Riordan Wage Justice Internship (Boston, MA); Senior Staff Attorney (Boston, MA); Staff Attorney (New Haven, CT); Summer 2016 Law Student Volunteer (Hartford, CT); Supervising Attorney (Providence, RI); Attorney (Jersey City, NJ); Managing Attorney (Jersey City, NJ); Legal Intern (Newark, NJ); Law Intern – Summer (Albany, Buffalo, Plattsburgh and Ithaca, NY); Assistant Corporation Counsel, Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (New York, NY); Summer 2016 Internship (New York, NY); Post-Grad Law Fellowship, Fall 2016 (New York, NY); Housing Law Clerk (Albany, NY); Immigration Law Clerk (Albany, NY); Summer Intern (Brooklyn, NY); Staff Attorney (New York, NY); Legal Research Fellowship (New York, NY); 2016 Summer Internship (New York, NY); Staff Attorney (Ossining, NY); Americorps/EJW Summer Internship (New York, NY); Staff Attorney (Bronx, NY); 2016 Pro Bono Scholars Program (New York, NY); Staff Attorney (Geneva, NY); Assistant Corporation Counsel, Administrative Law (New York, NY); Summer Intern – FDIC (New York, NY); Disability Rights Researcher/Advocate (New York, NY); Attorney (New York, NY); Summer 2016 Legal Fellowship – Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (New York, NY); Assistant Federal Defender (New York, NY); Associate (New York, NY); Summer Internship (New York, NY); Legal Internship – Summer 2016 (New York, NY); NYLAG Special Litigation Unit Summer 2016 (New York, NY);

Canada: PSJD Pro Bono Resources

by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships

Happy Friday! I feel like we’ll never dig out of this snow. But, it reminded me that not everyone is as fortunate to have a warm place to sleep. Check out resources in your area for folks who may be out in the cold so that you know how to help if an opportunity arises.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• 2016 National Law Journal Pro Bono Hot List;
• West Virginia Public Defender Services to no longer cut court-appointed attorneys’ fees;
• Bloomberg BNA announces support of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia;
• Texas Civil Rights Project announces Veterans’ Rights Program;
• Case Western Reserve University School of Law to create a human trafficking law clinic;
• Idaho judge dismisses ACLU lawsuit over public defense;
• State of Utah and Washington County sued over public defender system;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

January 18, 2016 – The 2016 National Law Journal Pro Bono Hot List is out.  The work was varied and far-reaching and required thousands of hours and teams of attorneys working to solve complex problems. Check out their amazing work. (National Law Journal)

January 21, 2016 – “[West Virginia] Public Defender Services rescinded its emergency guidelines that were set to go into effect this week. Dana Eddy, the Executive Director of Public Defender Services, said the budget office was able to scrape together enough money to be able to withdraw the emergency guidelines. ‘I give full credit to the budget office,’ Eddy said. ‘They were able to scrape together $15.7 million, which made it possible to remove the emergency guidelines.’ Eddy said even if the emergency guidelines had gone into effect, they would’ve only lasted until the next fiscal year.” (West Virginia Record)

January 21, 2016 –  “Bloomberg BNA today announced it will provide Bloomberg Law, a leading all-in-one technology platform for the legal industry, at no cost to the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia (D.C. Legal Aid). Washington, D.C.’s oldest and largest civil legal services organization, D.C. Legal Aid provides pro bono representation to clients living in poverty on matters involving domestic violence/family, housing, public benefits, and consumer law.” (PR Newswire)

January 21, 2016 – “The Texas Civil Rights Project recently announced a new Veterans’ Rights Program aimed at assisting the 40,000 or so veterans living in the Rio Grande Valley. ‘Veterans not only have the challenge of re-acclimating to civilian life – seeking health, education and other benefits to which they are entitled – but also often have the added challenge of navigating that process with physical or mental disabilities that they acquired during service,’ said Emma Hilbert, the program’s attorney, in a statement to Equal Voice.” “Any veterans or family members of veterans having trouble gaining access to public resources or residences will find themselves heard and represented at TCRP.” (AFBA)

January 22, 2016 – “Case Western Reserve University School of Law recently received $131,169 to create a human trafficking law clinic. The money came from the Crime Victims’ Fund, which was established by the Victims of Crime Act and provides a base amount of $500,000 to each state. In Ohio, the Attorney General’s Office distributes this money to Crime Victims Assistance Grant applicants who will support victim assistance and/or compensation programs. The focus of the human trafficking law clinic will be on providing advocacy and educating people on the issue of human trafficking. Students in the law school will be involved in the representation of human trafficking victims when they face criminal charges related to their victimization and will work with the courts to identify victims of human trafficking. Although they will not be involved in the prosecution of any human traffickers, students will also help victims who act as witnesses in such trials by providing information and support. The educational component will involve preparing educational materials for the community. All of this will be done with the oversight of Co-Directors and Professors Maureen Kenny and Judith P. Lipton, and students who become involved will be focusing on criminal law.” (The Observer)

January 22, 2016 – “An Idaho judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the state seeking to improve the public defense system in Idaho, saying the case did not merit judicial action because it is not up to the courts to legislate standards. ‘The court is sympathetic with plaintiff’s plight. However, the case invites the court to make speculative assumptions regarding the outcomes of individual cases,’ 4th District Judge Samuel Hoagland said in his ruling. He said the lawsuit asks him to presume ‘that all indigent criminal defendants in all counties are receiving the same ineffective assistance of counsel, and then issue blanket orders halting all criminal prosecutions until the issues are resolved.’ The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho sued the state in June contending that state officials have known for years that Idaho’s public defense system was broken and prevented defendants from receiving adequate legal representation guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Though the ACLU has brought similar cases over public defense systems in parts of Michigan, Washington state and other regions, attorneys on the Idaho lawsuit say it’s the first such case against an entire state. ACLU-Idaho Executive Director Leo Morales said the organization would appeal the ruling.” (Idaho Statesman)

January 22, 2016 – “A proposed class-action lawsuit was filed Friday against the state of Utah and Washington County on behalf of thousands of criminal defendants who are represented in court by public defenders. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on Friday, claims the county’s current public defender system is broken, and that the attorneys who work those contracts are overworked, underpaid and are not given the proper support to defend their clients. The lawsuit claims this is violating the accused’s constitutional rights — which requires states to provide an attorney for those who can’t afford them. ‘[The county] enters into fixed-price contracts with local attorneys to provide indigent defense services to those charged with criminal wrongdoing in the district court,’ the lawsuit reads. ‘The contracts are structured and administered in a manner that impede the ability of the attorneys to provide constitutionally adequate legal representation to their clients.'” (The Salt Lake Tribune)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Super Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

Photo: Brenda Gottsabend – CC License

The Disability Rights Division of the Human Rights Watch is seeking highly qualified applications for the position of Disability Rights Researcher/Advocate. This position will be responsible for developing and implementing research and advocacy strategies on the human rights of persons with disabilities. The position will ideally be based in HRW’s New York Office and will report to the Director of the Disability Rights Division.

If this sounds like something for you, check out the full post here. (Application Deadline: February 22, 2016)

by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships

Happy Friday!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• San Diego County Bar Foundation awards $110,00 in grants;
• Veterans Legal Assistance Foundation established to provide Canadian veterans better access to justice;
• ACLU files suit against Orleans Public Defenders Office;
• North Mississippi Legal Services celebrates 50 years;
• Fort Bend County (Texas) to open public defenders office;
• Grant provides legal aid to Indiana residents facing foreclosure;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

January 14, 2016 – “The San Diego County Bar Foundation (SDCBF) has awarded a total of $110,000 to 13 local nonprofit organizations, including Jewish Family Service, that offer legal services and promote understanding of the legal system to San Diego County residents.” “”Through these grants, we further our mission to ensure that legal aid is accessible to those who would otherwise be underserved by the legal system,’ said Brian Funk, president of the SDCBF board of directors. ‘We hope to raise even more funds in the coming year and continue to promote public understanding of the law.'” (San Diego Jewish World)

January 15, 2016 –  “Peter Stoffer announced this morning at the House of Commons a new charitable organization that supports access to justice for Canadian veterans. Funding for the initiative was announced in 2013 in conjunction with the Manuge SISIP Clawback class action settlement, but was made official in Ottawa today with the establishment of the Veterans Legal Assistance Foundation (‘the Veterans Legal Fund’). The$1-million donation was made by firms that received fees in the settlement – McInnes Cooper and Branch MacMaster – to fund a private foundation for the benefit of disabled veterans who apply and qualify for support.” “The mandate of the Veterans Legal Fund is to assist veterans with access to justice by providing funding assistance enabling them to retain qualified legal counsel. The framework for the funding assistance program would be similar to that of legal aid.” (Canadian News Wire)

January 15, 2016 – “The Orleans Parish Public Defenders office will have to defend itself against a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana. The office is refusing cases because it said it does not have the money or people for the caseload. The ACLU said it is a constitutional issue because the defenders’ office is denying people their Sixth Amendment right to an attorney. Since Tuesday, the office has refused six cases.” “The ACLU filed suit on behalf of three men who have been wait-listed, saying they are ‘helpless’ and losing invaluable opportunities to build a defense. The state relies on fines and fees collected from traffic tickets and other convictions to pay for public defense. [Chief District Defender Derwyn] Bunton said that means his office is dependent on inadequate and unreliable revenue. ‘This lawsuit is really an illustration of that, and so when we don’t have the resources we can’t provide the service and ethically we can’t take on cases that we can’t handle in accordance with the constitution and our ethical and state performance standards,’ Bunton said.” (WDSU)

January 15, 2016 – “In the past 50 years Mississippi has seen the civil rights movement, advances in employment opportunities for people of all lifestyles, an economic downturn and a society that has become more litigious. Through it all North Mississippi Legal Services has been on top of the game, helping poor and low-income Mississippians who need legal representation and offering more and more services as the years go by.” Through their work, northern Mississippians have seen great change and progress.  Congratulations, and here’s to many more years! (Oxford Eagle)

January 16, 2016 – “Fort Bend County’s new public defender’s office is getting ready to open for business, making preparations to handle about 10 percent of the county’s felony and misdemeanor indigent cases. Following last spring’s debate over whether the office was needed, state grant funding was approved by August and went into effect in October for the new county agency, which will provide criminal defense for those who cannot afford it. The public defender’s office will take its first case Feb. 1.” (Houston Chronicle)

January 19, 2016 – “Indiana Legal Services, or ILS, provides legal aid for Hoosiers in all 92 counties. On Tuesday, Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced that a new grant will help support their foreclosure prevention services for low-income residents. The grant will also be used to fund a partnership between Indiana Tech Law School and ILS. Attorney General Greg Zoeller says this grant will help residents who need legal aid during the foreclosure process.” “The grant comes from money received in a multi-state settlement with Chase Bank over alleged unlawful debt collection practices. The judge ruled the funds be used for consumer protection.” (WBOI)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others? – Martin Luther King, Jr.  I am asking myself this question often.  I hope you are too. Together we make a difference for those who don’t have the skills or experience to help themselves.  Thank you for your pro bono efforts of behalf of those individuals!

Super Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

https://youtu.be/u2HHDoy7R58

Photo: Brenda Gottsabend – CC License

Penn State University’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel is seeking to hire a recent law school graduate as a Higher Education Law Fellow for a one-year period to begin in the summer or early fall of 2016. No prior legal experience is required. The Law Fellow may be assigned research and other projects in any of the subject matter areas handled by the Office, including those related to employment, faculty, students, research, governance, contracts, compliance, intellectual property, constitutional law, health care, litigation, government relations, regulatory matters and others.

If this sounds like something for you, check out the full post on PSJD. (Application Deadline: Rolling)

Equal Justice Works is presenting awards to law students at EJW member schools in eight regions who have a demonstrated commitment to public interest law and pro bono work. Check out their message below:

The 2016 Equal Justice Works Public Interest Awards seek to identify and honor law students who have provided extraordinary service through clinics, volunteer work, internships, extracurricular projects, and more.

The deadline to apply for an Equal Justice Works Public Interest Award is March 1, 2016. Click here to access the 2016 Equal Justice Works Public Interest Award application, and click here to view a list of all Equal Justice Works member schools by region. For all questions, please email our Law School Engagement & Advocacy Unit at lsea@equaljusticeworks.org.

Good luck!

by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships

Happy Friday!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• California Chief Judge hails proposed budget increase for judiciary;
• Orleans public defender’s office to begin refusing cases;
• Idaho Governor proposes $5 million for public defense reform;
• Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law launches legal incubator program;
• Washington State Attorney General announces legislation to provide better legal assistance to veterans;
• Elon University School of Law launches law practice incubator;
• Teen builds UK’s first robot lawyer;
• Maine lawmakers propose state-wide public defender office;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

January 8, 2016 – “California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye yesterday expressed delight over the allocation in Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed 2016–17 budget of $3.8 billion for the Judicial Branch, including $2.8 billion for trial court operations. The total amount of the state budget is $122.6 billion. Last year, Brown proposed $3.47 billion for the courts, a $180 million boost over the previous fiscal year. The current sum proposed for the courts is a $330 million increase. Cantil-Sakauye declared: ‘We welcome the Governor’s proposed budget for the judicial branch as it would provide $146.3 million in crucial new funding for our courts. Much of the new funding would be focused on innovations to benefit court users at all levels of our court system. The proposed budget reflects a steady but cautious new investment in the judicial branch since fiscal year 2012–2013. The budget contains ‘proposals to support efforts by the Judicial Council to improve court operations and increase access.’ ‘In addition to supporting local as well as branchwide innovations, the Governor’s budget would provide funding for statewide infrastructure needs, language access expansion in civil proceedings, and funding to assist trial courts facing increased workload related to sentencing reforms.’ ‘The Governor’s proposed budget would help make courts more accessible, efficient, and equitable for court users. The Judicial Council looks forward to working with the Administration and Legislature as we seek to address state budget issues affecting access to justice for the people of California.'” (Metropolitan News-Enterprise)

January 11, 2016 –  “The Orleans Public Defenders office announced Monday that it will begin refusing certain felony cases in which defendants face lengthy or life sentences. In addition to murder cases, these can include attempted murder, forcible rape and armed robbery, said Colin Reingold, the office’s litigation director. The action, which Chief Defender Derwyn Bunton first threatened nearly two months ago, presents uncertain options for indigent defendants charged with serious violent crimes. The office either needs more funding or reduced caseloads, Reingold said. ‘Either those defendants will have to hire a lawyer, or the court will find them a lawyer, or they will wait for a lawyer until one of those things happen,’ Reingold said. ‘On a purely practical level, each judge could make their own call.’ Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration has increased direct appropriations to the office from $831,000 in 2014 to more than $1.5 million this year, the administration said in a statement. But these increases have barely kept pace with state funding cuts, the administration said, adding that the state ‘has primary responsibility in this area.’ The additional local funding is enough to stave off mandatory furloughs, but not enough to provide representation in serious felony cases that is constitutional or ethical, Reingold said. Reingold acknowledged the possibility a judge could order the Public Defenders office to proceed with representation, adding this could ultimately harm prosecutions. ‘We would continue to do the best we can with the understanding that we are warning them it is our opinion that the representation we are providing is deficient, and the case will be vulnerable to an appeal,’ Reingold said, adding that the Public Defenders office would likely seek appellate relief if forced to provide deficient representation.” (The Times-Picayune)

January 11, 2016 – “Idaho Gov. Butch Otter says he’s set aside $5 million in his proposed state budget for next year to address public defense reform. After a short pause, lawmakers greeted the news with applause. It followed a strong statement from Otter about the need for the move. ‘Let me say that Idaho historically has been a leader in recognizing and ensuring the right to legal counsel,’ he said. ‘It was part of our territorial law and was put in the Idaho Constitution at statehood.’ A lawsuit now pending in state court in Idaho charges that Idaho’s current public defender system is unconstitutional, its public defenders are overworked and undertrained, and the system provides a disincentive for adequate defense, Otter told lawmakers. ‘It’s not a cheap or easy fix. But I stand with the Idaho Criminal Justice Commission and the State Public Defense Commission in calling on the Legislature to address the issue this year,’ the governor declared.” (The Spokesman-Review)

January 11, 2016 – “The Shepard Broad College of Law will launch a Legal Incubator program, a new opportunity for Nova Southeastern University (NSU) law graduates to start their own solo, small firm or non-profit practices while serving military veterans and lower income individuals. The innovative program, operating in coordination with the college’s existing Veterans Law Clinic, will allow NSU law graduates to attain valuable legal and business experience while launching a practice and provide the new attorneys the affordable infrastructure and basic training to get established. ‘The integration of the NSU Law Incubator with the full-service Veteran’s Clinic provides a truly unique resource for both our graduates and the communities they serve,’ said College of Law Dean Jon M. Garon. ‘This model combines cutting-edge, post-graduate education essential for new lawyers while greatly expanding our service to the Veteran community.'” (PR Newswire)

January 13, 2016 – “State Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Wednesday announced legislation to improve the delivery of legal assistance services to current and former military service members. The proposed legislation to create an Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance in the Attorney General’s Office authorizes the office to facilitate access to legal assistance programs and pro bono (volunteer) legal representation for military service members, veterans and their families. The proposed legislation will create a one-stop shop for legal assistance and pro bono services provided by community organizations and private attorneys.” (Kent Reporter)

January 13, 2016 – “Elon University School of Law has launched a law practice incubator to help foster the development of attorneys looking to launch a solo practice or seeking to serve low-income residents in the community. Peter Hoffman, an Elon Law professor who focuses on trial and appellate advocacy, has spearheaded the effort and said the goal is to help attorneys leave the program after 18 months ‘with a record of accomplishment, pro bono service and financially viable, freestanding practices.’ The program launches with four Elon Law graduates who were selected through a competitive application process.” (Triad Business Journal)

January 14, 2016 – This one is just interesting.  “A 19-year-old student claims to have built “UK’s first robot lawyer” in an attempt to give the public free legal aid. Joshua Browder, undertaking an Economics and Computer Science degree at Stanford University, came up with the idea after he created a website ‘DoNotPay’ to help people appeal unfair parking tickets. Speaking to Mashable about the inspiration behind his robot lawyer, he said: ‘…users began sending me emails ranging from questions about how to use the site (‘I got a parking ticket — which appeal should I choose?’) to general questions about consumer law (‘What happens if I can’t pay my court fine?’).  Although I tried to respond to every single one, as the site gained popularity, it became harder to respond in detail to thousands of these emails a month.’ He added: ‘To solve this problem, I realised that the best way to help people would be to create a computer program that could talk to users, generate appeals and answer questions like a human.'” (Huffington Post UK)

January 14, 2016 – “A proposal by Gov. Paul LePage to create a state public defenders office to represent criminal defendants who can’t afford a lawyer will be aired in a public hearing Thursday at the State House. The bill, sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators on LePage’s behalf, would replace the current system, which uses state money to hire private lawyers for indigent defense, with a hybrid system in which approved private attorneys would be under contract with the state. Currently, lawyers hired as public defenders aren’t under contract. But the bill is opposed by many attorneys who currently represent indigent defendants in Maine.” “Maine is now the only state without some form of a public defender’s office to oversee the representation of indigent criminal defendants.” (Portland Press Herald)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Four outstanding attorneys and law firms and two community partners were recognized and celebrated for their extraordinary work at the Nevada Legal Services Inaugural Elko Champions of Justice Luncheon on Dec. 10, 2015. “Nevada Legal Services created the Champions of Justice Award to give recognition to those who significantly support the cause of access to justice for all Nevadans by providing or promoting pro bono assistance,” Johnson said. “As the needs of our rural communities have increased we have reached out to our rural community volunteers and community agencies for support and assistance in addressing the increased need for legal aid.” The award recipients represent a broad cross-section of Elko and rural Nevada’s legal community and share a commitment to advancing access to justice.

Rural Pro Bono Attorney of the Year 2015: Rendal Miller, Esq.

Rural Pro Bono Firm of the Year 2015: The Gerber Law Firm

Rural Pro Bono Clinic Attorney of the Year 2015: Kriston Hill, Esq.

Rural Pro Bono Collaboration Partners of the Year 2015: Elko County Library

Rural Pro Bono Community Partners of the Year 2015: Elko Office of Aging and Disability Services Division

Super Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang.

https://youtu.be/v–IqqusnNQ