The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is seeking motivated law student interns to apply for stipends available for summer 2016. The Program will pay a $2,500 stipend to three law school students who spend the summer months working for a bar association or legal services program designed to prevent homelessness or assist homeless or indigent clients or their advocates. The ideal intern will have a demonstrated interest in public interest law and experience working with poor people or on issues affecting them. All law students are eligible, and first year law students are encouraged to apply. The application deadline for Summer 2016 is Monday, March 28, 2016. For more information and the application package, please visit http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_services/homelessness_poverty/john_j_curtin_jr_fellowship1.html.

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

Happy Friday!

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Virginia Attorney General announces legal aid for veterans;
• Case Western Reserve University School of Law launches a human trafficking clinic;
• Best Places to Work in the Federal Government report now available – NASA still number one;
• Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP announces creation of Pro Bono Partner position;
• Maryland Judiciary launches mobile app to improve access to justice;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

December 7, 2015 – “Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring came to Norfolk Monday morning to announce his office is launching pro bono veterans legal clinics around the state. Herring’s program will give low-income veterans free help in three areas: creating wills, power of attorney and advanced medical directives. ‘These are folks who have served our country in times of need and we owe so much to them this is a way we can begin to repay that,’ said Herring.”  “Herring hopes to help about 100 veterans at each clinic. This will be on a first come first served basis. In order to be eligible for services, veterans and their spouses must fill out a questionnaire on the Attorney General’s website. Paper copies will also be available at local Virginia Department of Veterans Services Benefits Center.” (WAVY)

December 7, 2015 – “Case Western Reserve University School of Law, with a grant from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, will launch a human trafficking law clinic in which students, under faculty supervision, will represent victims of human trafficking and sexual assault. Professors Judith Lipton and Maureen Kenny will serve as co-directors of the Human Trafficking Project, which will provide legal services to survivors of human trafficking and education and awareness to service providers, educators, students and the general public on this important issue.” “Lipton said the state grant will support the creation of a Human Trafficking Law Clinic. Meanwhile, the grant enables Case Western Reserve law students to immediately represent victims of human trafficking through the Criminal Justice Clinic.” (newswise)

December 8, 2015 –  The headline reads “NASA is the best place to work in government, Homeland Security is the worst – again.”  The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government report is out for 2015.  “The level of job satisfaction among federal employees at agencies with similar missions in areas such as law enforcement and public health varies widely, according to a new analysis of the ‘Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.’ For the first time, the authors of the report – which is based on data from the Office of Personnel Management’s annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey – grouped 75 federal organizations by six mission areas: energy and environment, financial regulation, law enforcement, national security, oversight and public health.” “Agencies that were at the top and bottom last year occupied those slots in 2015 too. For the fourth consecutive year, NASA was the No. 1 place to work among large federal agencies, with a job satisfaction and commitment score of 76.1 (out of 100) among employees. The intelligence community, departments of Justice, State and Commerce rounded out the top five. The rankings include 391 federal agencies and their subcomponents.” (Government Executive)

December 8, 2015 – “Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP today announced the creation of a Pro Bono Partner position at the firm.  Dan Brown, a partner in the Firm’s Business Trial Group and current Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee, will fill that role.” “Brown will devote the majority of his time to managing the firm’s pro bono program, while continuing to litigate for his and other firm clients.  As Sheppard Mullin’s pro bono Chair, Brown was responsible for leading a firm-wide initiative to rejuvenate and expand the role of pro bono within Sheppard Mullin, resulting in pro bono and billable hours being treated the same for associates, and pro bono becoming a factor in the annual partner compensation review process.” (Sheppard Mullin Press Release)

December 9, 2015 – “The Maryland Judiciary unveiled a new free mobile app designed to improve access to justice. The Maryland Law Help app, released Wednesday, aims to help citizens better understand and navigate the court system, and make legal information readily available on smartphones and tablets. App users can access the Judiciary’s most popular resources including finding a lawyer or mediator, self-help videos on how to use the courts, locating proper forms, learning about Maryland law, and chatting with an attorney at the Maryland Courts Self-Help Center, which is operated by Maryland Legal Aid. ‘The new mobile app brings court access into the digital age,’ Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera said in a release. ‘With this innovation, we are improving access to justice by using technology to facilitate people meeting their legal needs.'” (ABC2 News)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

The Children’s Law Center in Washington, DC held a special reception at Covington’s DC office recently to honor Covington litigator Tony Herman and his commitment to pro bono. CLC executive director Judith Sandalow first met Tony at a soccer field watching their sons play together. They bonded over their shared experiences as adoptive parents. After Judith learned about Tony’s commitment to legal aid and closing the justice gap, she eventually asked him to join CLC’s board. That long involvement culminated in Tony serving as CLC board chair for four years, a position from which he stepped down a couple of months ago. CLC also announced that several Covington attorneys chose to honor Tony’s service by establishing the Anthony Herman Adoption Litigation Fund, which will allow CLC to support more adoptive families with legal advocacy. (Bisnow)

Super Music Bonus!  Music pick from the PSJD Fellow Eulen Jang. And a bonus track from FLOTUS!

Photo: Brenda Gottsabend – CC License

The Homeless Action Center (HAC) is seeking a Staff Attorney to primarily represent clients in applications and appeals for SSI/Social Security Disability benefits and Medi-Cal. HAC is a community based legal services program founded in 1990 to provide legal services to homeless people in Alameda County, California. The position will be based in Oakland, CA.

If this sounds like something for you, check out the full post here. (Application Deadline: January 4, 2016)

Federal Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)

One of the biggest benefits of federal employment for recent law school graduates is student loan repayment assistance. Federal agencies are authorized to provide up to $10,000 in loan repayment assistance per year for federally-made, insured or guaranteed student loans with a total lifetime cap of $60,000 per employee. In exchange for each year that an employee accepts this benefit, she or he must commit to working for the federal government for an additional three years. If an employee accepts this benefit and leaves (separates either voluntarily or involuntarily) before this period expires, she or he must repay the full amount.

While not all agencies offer this benefit, many do. In 2014, 33 federal agencies provided more than $58.7 million in loan repayment assistance to their employees.  This represents a 6.5 percent increase in the number of agencies offering a loan repayment program from 2013, and a 10.9 percent increase in agencies’ overall financial investment in this particular incentive. However, the average student loan repayment benefit in CY 2014 was $6,937, a 4.1 percent decrease compared to CY 2013.

The five agencies that provided the most loan repayment assistance in CY 2014 were:

Most notably, the Securities and Exchange Commission used the majority of its loan repayment funds on mission critical occupations, with Attorney-Advisor being the largest category of recipients (371 attorneys received benefits in CY 14) and the JD advantage position Securities Compliance Examiner (32).  The Department of Veterans Affairs also used a large portion of funding on the JD advantage positions of Contract Specialists (116) and Human Resource Specialists (106).

Overall, departments and agencies report that the use of student loan repayment assistance as a recruitment and retention tool for highly skilled workers has been effective.  For example, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission uses its funds mainly as a retention tool, providing a majority of the benefits to mission critical occupations such as Attorney and Energy Industry Analyst.  Of special note, Housing and Urban Development provided loan repayment assistance to their Presidential Management Fellow in addition to other legally related positions.

Agencies continue to report that the primary barrier to using student loan repayments for recruitment or retention is a lack of overall funding for the program.  Other reported barriers were the corresponding three-year service agreement, the tax liability associated with the student loan repayments, and the yearly cap of $10,000 on benefits.  Some agencies reported candidates were unwilling to commit to three years of service in return for the student loan repayment benefit. Both the tax liability and the cap in relation to rising student loan debt were seen as diminishing the value of the benefit.  However, the primary impediment appears to be need — many agencies do not have hard-to-fill jobs or don’t have difficulty recruiting and retaining employees.

The following departments or agencies provided loan repayment assistance to one or more attorneys: Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Regulatory Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Government Accountability Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Postal Regulatory Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Surface Transportation Board.

The following departments or agencies provided loan repayment assistance to one or more JD advantage positions: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, Federal Regulatory Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Postal Regulatory Commission, and Securities and Exchange Commission.

Additionally, 9 agencies recently established student loan repayment assistance programs that they did not use in CY 2014.  These agencies include the Agency for International Development, Commodities Futures Trading Commission, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Government Printing Office, National Capital Planning Commission, Office of Government Ethics, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. AbilityOne Commission.

To learn more about the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program, visit opm.gov or contact human resources representatives at the federal agencies in which you are most interested. Click here to view the complete report from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for calendar year 2014.

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

Happy Friday!  Welcome to December.  If you are looking for job search tips to employ during your winter break, look no further  than the Resource Center on PSJD.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Alberta (Canada) Justice launches review of legal aid;
• Dentons supports Atlanta’s Westside neighborhoods revitalization with multi-year pro bono commitment;
• Mississippi Supreme Court approves new student rule allowing more work for the poor;
• Chief Judge Lippman announces creation of Legal Hand in New York;
• Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and The Cumberland hires first technology director;
• U.S. lawmakers launch legal aid caucus;
• Texas legal aid group receives $20,000 grant to assist immigrants;
• The Association of Pro Bono Counsel publishes its inaugural annual report;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

November 25, 2015 – “The government-led review will start mid-December and will look at the affordability and sustainability of legal aid, its governance model, what services Legal Aid Alberta should offer, financial eligibility guidelines for clients, and pay for lawyers. It will also suggest a long-term strategy to deal with court orders for publicly funded representation. ‘The current structure and delivery of legal aid is struggling to meet the challenges of a growing population,’ Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said Wednesday. On a recent day, Legal Aid Alberta fielded 1,100 phone calls, compared to last year’s daily average of 600. Between July and September, the society saw a 33% increase in certificates issued for legal representation. ‘We want to make sure we are protecting the most vulnerable Albertans by provided adequate access to legal services,’ Ganley said. ‘At the same time, we also have a responsibility to ensure that tax dollars are spent prudently.'” “Legal Aid Alberta said it will co-operate with the government-led review as long as experts and those affected are consulted. Ganley said a comprehensive consultation process will kick off with interviews, focus groups, online surveys and written submissions. The review is expected to cost less than $100,000 and be finished by spring 2016.” (Edmonton Journal)

November 25, 2015 – “Global law firm Dentons today announced a multi-year pro bono commitment in support of the Westside neighborhoods revitalization project currently underway through a joint effort between the Westside Future Fund and the Westside Neighborhood Prosperity Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. As part of the initiative, Dentons has pledged up to $375,000 in legal and public policy counsel over the span of three years in conjunction with the project.” “As part of the relationship, Dentons will provide ongoing legal counsel on matters pertaining to real estate preservation, zoning, land use, economic development, contracts, policy compliance, litigation and other aspects of the project. Lawyers and public policy professionals across the Firm will be engaged to create a multi-faceted team to address the many legal and governmental issues that can arise in a project of this magnitude.” (Dentons News)

November 26, 2015 –  “Law students will be able to do more legal work for poor Mississippi residents under a rule recently approved by the state Supreme Court. ‘Students attending law schools in other states and those who are not getting course credit for the work can now help attorneys representing people who cannot pay,’ said Tiffany Graves, executive director of the state’s Access to Justice Commission. ‘The new rule will provide immediate and long-term benefits,’ said Professor Meta Copeland, director of experiential learning at Mississippi College School of Law. ‘More law students can now assist low-income clients with legal issues,’ she said in a news release from the state court system. ‘More lawyers will accept pro bono cases with the assistance of a limited practice student at no cost.’ The new rule supplants a state law which also allowed only state or legal services employees to supervise the student workers. Now such services can be provided as part of a clinical legal education course, law school legal internship program, or through a volunteer legal services program under the supervision of licensed attorneys, Graves said. Graves said the students cannot represent clients directly, but may only help a supervising attorney or teacher. The rule was approved Nov. 19 and took effect immediately.” (SFGate)

November 30, 2015 – “Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman was in Crown Heights on Monday to announce the creation of a new program called Legal Hand that will provide free legal advice and referrals to low-income residents.” “‘The key feature of Legal Hand is that the help it provides does not come from lawyers, it comes from community volunteers who are specially trained to provide information and guidance to low-income individuals on how to navigate the court and social services systems and how to protect and represent themselves in a legal manner,’ Lippman said. ‘This program is the newest foray in the campaign to close the justice gap in New York and the first of its kind in the country.'” “The Legal Hand center will work in conjunction with three other legal service providers — the Legal Aid Society, Legal Services NYC and the New York Legal Assistance Group.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

December 1, 2015 – In what might be the latest trend in legal aid, “Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and The Cumberlands has hired Paul Swiney as its first director of technology. ‘The legal industry is increasingly reliant on technology to connect lawyers with clients and collect essential case information,’ Gary Housepian, Legal Aid Society executive director, said in the release. ‘Paul brings an extraordinary technical background and skill set, and his experience in the non-profit sector will serve us well. We feel fortunate to have found such a great fit.’ Swiney will be based out of Legal Aid Society’s Nashville office and service all eight of the entity’s offices across the region. LAS bills itself as Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm.”(Nashville Post)

December 1, 2015 – “Lawmakers in the House have created a caucus to make it easier for low-income families to get legal representation. Reps. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) and Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) launched the Access to Civil Legal Services Caucus on Tuesday to advocate for civil legal aid programs and ensure access to representation is never limited by income. ‘Our legal system is where our nation makes good on the sacred promise of equal justice under the law,’ Kennedy said in a news release. ‘But too often that promise is far from guaranteed for low-income families, veterans, victims of domestic violence and thousands of other Americans forced to stand in our courtrooms alone each year with their homes, savings and futures at risk.’ In urging other lawmakers to join the caucus, the lawmakers cited a Boston Bar Association report that found 64 percent of cases in Massachusetts in 2013 that were eligible for legal aid programs were turned away due to lack of funding. The majority of cases covered by civil legal aid organizations in Massachusetts and Indiana involved family and housing. ‘This caucus will seek to change that, making sure that when civil disputes are brought to our judicial system, those involved, regardless of financial means, have access to appropriate legal resources and representation,’ Brooks said.” (The Hill)

December 2, 2015 – “The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), received a $20,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation so that the group can continue to ‘provide children and mothers who were released from the Karnes and Dilley Family Detention Centers with legal services.’ Since the summer of 2014, RAICES has provided free legal counsel to thousands of families held in South Texas. Many of them reside in the state after their release.” (San Antonio Current)

December 2, 2015 – “The Association of Pro Bono Counsel, a membership organization for lawyers who hold full-time positions managing pro bono practices at large law firms, is seeking to promote its message and work. Nearly 10 years after its formation, the New York-based nonprofit recently published its first-ever annual report, which became available online Wednesday. The report celebrates APBCo’s growth from a 60-member association in 2006 to more than 155 members today.” (American Lawyer)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

Immigrant Women Services Ottawa (IWSO) is recognizing Legal Aid Ontario’s Integrated Legal Service Office (ILSO) with a community leader award. ILSO and its predecessor, the Family Law Office, have worked with IWSO since 1999 to assist vulnerable immigrant women and their children. “Legal Aid has an understanding of violence against women and children and has made an extraordinary effort to help,” says IWSO Manager, Crisis & Counseling services Vivian Chan-Brouillette. “As a result, their work has had significant impact on this problem in the Ottawa community. For example, an abuser can lie to the victim about their rights or threaten to send them back home without the children. If these women don’t see a lawyer and learn about their rights, they may not even have the courage to think about leaving their abuser.” Congratulations! (Legal Aid Ontario Newsroom)

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

Equal Justice Works is hosting another Free Student Debt Webinar! Check out their message below: 

Our Christmas Gift To You: Free Debt Relief Webinar

It’s the holidays! For law students, ‘tis the season for intense study groups, first semester finals, and (hopefully) a much-needed chance to relax after it’s all over.

We know that the holiday season can be tough. That’s why we’re offering our free monthly webinar,  “Drowning in Debt! What Law Students & Lawyers Need to Know about Managing Student Loans & Earning Public Service Loan Forgiveness,” on Thursday, December 17, 2015 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm EDT to help student loan borrowers plan out their finances just in time for the new year! Whether you’re currently a law student, recent law graduate, or professional attorney, this webinar will provide you with the information you need to know about Public Service Loan Forgiveness, income-driven repayment plans, and more. Come check it out and learn how to manage your student debt!

New REPAYE Plan Almost Ready for Launch

The Department of Education recently announced the new income-driven REPAYE (Revised Pay As You Earn) plan will be available to borrowers in mid-December! This revamped option will cap your monthly payments at 10% of your discretionary income, and will be available to all undergraduate and graduate federal loan borrowers regardless of when the money was borrowed.

Sounds like a great plan, but there are some potential pitfalls that every savvy borrower should be aware of. We discuss some of these dangers in our latest Huffington Post blog article, “Love and Student Debt: How the New REPAYE Plan Could Affect Marriages,” and we’ll be talking in-depth about the REPAYE plan during our webinar.

We’ll be updating our free student debt e-book Take Control of Your Future to include all the in-depth information you need to know about REPAYE. Download it now to be notified of all updates!

Help Protect Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As always, we urge you to take action to preserve Public Service Loan Forgiveness before Congress moves forward with capping or eliminating this vital program for public service workers. In addition to coming to the December 17^th webinar for the latest legislative updates, you can join  the ABA’s Save #Loan4Giveness campaign today by taking action via social media!

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. Our webinars are tailored to law students and lawyers, but the information is applicable to anyone who needs help managing the burden of student loan debt. To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter (@EJW_org, #studentdebthelp) and on Facebook!

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 December’s Regional Highlights:

West/Rocky Mountain: Attorney (Various locations, New Mexico); Attorney (Albuquerque, NM); Family Law Staff Attorney (San Francisco, CA); Legislative Advocate (San Francisco, CA); Director of Litigation (Santa Ana, CA); 2016 Legal Fellow (Oakland, CA); Summer 2016 Clerk (Portland, OR); Part-time Pro Bono Coordinator/Staff Attorney (Portland, OR); Assistant U.S. Attorney (Spokane, WA); Attorney (Barrow, AK); Staff Attorney, Domestic Violence (Bozeman, MT); Law Clerkship, Summer 2016 (Honolulu, HI)

Midwest: Consumer Protection Attorney (St. Paul, MN); Senior Attorney (St. Paul, MN); 2016 Summer Advocate (Madison, WI); Clinical Professor with the Wisconsin Innocence Project (Madison, WI); Staff Attorney (Grand Rapids, MI); Summer 2016 Legal Internship (Kalamazoo, MI); Assistant Dean for Career Services (Bloomington, IN); Intake Staff Attorney (Indianapolis, IN); Summer Law Student Internship (Kansas City, MO); Staff Attorney (Columbus, OH); General Counsel’s Summer Intern Program (Cincinnati, OH); CCLA Volunteer and Pro Bono Program Director (Chicago, IL); Law Student Internship Program for Summer 2016 (Alton, IL)

Southeast: Assistant United States Attorney – Appellate Division (Raleigh, NC);  Assistant Post-Conviction/Staff Attorney (Nashville, TN);  Assistant United States Attorney (Dallas, TX); Managing Attorney (Covington, KY); Staff Attorney (Oklahoma City, OK); Legal Internship (Miami, FL); Lucha Staff Attorney (Miami, FL); Human Rights Attorney (Sarasota, FL); Staff Investigator (Tallahassee, FL);

Mid-Atlantic: Senior Attorney (Harrisburg, PA); Staff Attorney (York, PA); Law Clerkship 2016 (Philadelphia, PA); Assistant Attorney General – Educational Affairs Program (Baltimore, MD); Principal Counsel – Maryland Energy Administration (Baltimore, MD); Staff Attorney (Baltimore, MD); Legal and Policy Intern (Bethesda, MD); Legal Intern, Advocacy (Silver Spring, MD); Bioethics Fellowship (Bethesda, MD); Assistant U.S. Attorney (Newport News, VA); Attorney Adviser (General) (Arlington, VA); General Counsel’s Summer Intern Program (Washington, D.C.); Assistant United States Attorney (Washington, DC); Public Interest Law Internship (Washington, DC); Direction Attorney, Economic Security Team (Washington, DC); Spring 2016 Law Clerk (Washington, DC); Privacy Fellow (Washington, DC); Legal Fellow (Washington, DC); Advocacy Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean (Washington, DC); Social Enterprise and Nonprofit Law Clinic Graduate Teaching Fellowship (Washington, DC)

Northeast:  Staff Attorney (Burlington, VT); Disability Law Project Attorney (Rutland, VT); Public Defender (St. Albans, VT); Abrams Clinical Fellowship – Yale Law (New Haven, CT); Summer Legal Intern (Boston, MA); Staff Attorney (Quincy, MA); 2016 Corporation Counsel Clerkship (New York, NY); Managing Attorney (Jamestown, NY); Supervising Attorney – Civil Action Practice (New York, NY);  Director of Immigration Project (Staten Island, NY); Legal Advocate (Brooklyn, NY); Legal Fellow – U.S. Legal Program (New York, NY); Assistant General Counsel (Manhattan, NY); New York State Bar Association – Minority Fellowships in Environmental Law (NY Summer Funding/Scholarship)

Canada: PSJD Resource: Careers in Social Justice

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

Happy Thanksgiving!  We are thankful that you enjoy the Digest.  Have a great Turkey Day, and we’ll see you next week.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Wyoming State Bar’s Modest Means program sees many volunteers;
• New Orleans judge defers decision on public defender plea for no new cases;
• ABA Journal announces nominees for the 9th annual Law Blawg 100;
• Widener University Delaware Law School offers free legal aid to state inventors;
• Texas Supreme Court establishes justice gap commission;
• Thomas Jefferson School of Law announces endowment to fund Social Justice Award;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

November 21, 2015 – “Some attorneys in Wyoming are volunteering to represent residents who make too much money to qualify for legal aid but not enough to hire counsel. The Wyoming State Bar launched its Modest Means Program two weeks ago and has recruited at least 50 lawyers across the state. ‘The Wyoming State Bar has been involved in access-to-justice efforts for many years,’ said executive director Sharon Wilkinson. ‘We all really felt strongly that there is still a gap that we needed to fill.’ Participating attorneys agree to charge clients no more than $75 per hour and $500 for a retainer, if necessary. The program is available to families whose household incomes are between 200 and 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. That would be an annual income of between $48,500 and $60,625 for a family of four. Attorneys will help with issues involving divorce, child support, custody, bankruptcy, tenant issues, minor criminal matters and more.” (Billings Gazette)

November 23, 2015 – “A New Orleans judge has deferred until at least mid-December a decision on whether to stop assigning new criminal cases to the Orleans Public Defenders office. The office has said it can’t handle more cases without putting at risk defendants’ constitutional rights. Following two days of testimony in a hearing he convened, Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter issued a ruling Monday afternoon (Nov. 23) giving the office until Dec. 11 to convince him it has taken ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent the suspension of duties. The parish’s public defenders asked Friday that no new cases be appointed to their office until their existing workload was reduced sufficiently to ensure constitutional and ethically sound defense efforts for their clients.” (Nola.com)

November 23, 2015 –  “For this year’s annual Blawg 100 feature—our ninth—we’re going beyond announcing our list of 100 excellent legal blogs and the promotion of 10 more blogs to our Hall of Fame. We explore how the legal blogosphere has changed since we first started publishing this list. Do legal blogs have a waning or a thriving readership? And how has the emergence of new bloggers from BigLaw and elsewhere and other social media platforms in recent years changed blogging for the better—or worse? As in years past, we looked to readers and bloggers to help us compile our list. But this year, no blogs are being forced into categories, and there will be no online voting.” “Read more here to find out about the blogs on our list, and click here to find our Blawg 100 Twitter list, which includes both the handles of our Hall of Famers and this year’s nominees. Visit the Blawg 100 landing page to read about the eight prior lists, and check out the thousands of other legal blogs in the ABA Journal Blawg Directory.” (ABA Journal)

November 23, 2015 – “Widener University Delaware Law School launched a new, free public service Monday that will give legal advice to potential inventors.” “A new website provides information for prospective inventors, as well as attorneys, agents and law students who want to volunteer with the program. Successful applicants must meet three conditions to be eligible for the free legal advice. Their income must be less than three times the federal poverty level, they must have knowledge of the patent system and a truly inventive idea.” (Delaware Public Media)

November 23, 2015 – “By an order Monday the Texas Supreme Court has created an 18-member Texas Commission to Expand Civil Legal Services charged to explore means to bring more affordable legal services to small businesses and people who cannot qualify for legal aid. The commission will seek a comprehensive answer to a growing number of potential clients with legal problems who believe they cannot afford lawyers to solve them. Former Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson will lead the commission.” “The commission, composed of lawyers, law school deans and professors and judges, will assess efforts and proposals in Texas and other states, as well as by the American Bar Association, to find what may work to broaden legal services available to low- and middle-income Texans. Commissioners will issue a first report to the Court on Nov. 1, 2016.” (Texas Lawyer)

November 24, 2015 – “Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s Center for Law and Social Justice has created an award to recognize student efforts in social justice after receiving an endowment in memory of alumnus Samuel Kossack. Kossack’s family and friends have donated generously to fund an award to recognize a currently enrolled Thomas Jefferson School of Law student who, through his or her own actions, promotes social justice either on an individual basis or by transforming systems that perpetuate injustice. Recipients must demonstrate contributions to social justice through participation in activities such as volunteer work, relevant scholarship, advocacy of social justice, the law school’s pro bono program, clinical courses, self-help clinics, or other work that directly serves the needs of marginalized or disadvantaged populations. One cash award will be given annually.” (Business Wire)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:

On this day in history: The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution designating November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The resolution, which was introduced by the Dominican Republic, marked the anniversary of the death of three sisters, Maria, Teresa, and Minerva Mirabel, who were brutally murdered there in 1960. While women in Latin America and the Caribbean had honored the day since 1981, all UN countries did not formally recognize it until 1999. Many organizations, including the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), had been pushing for international recognition of the date for some time. (History.com) 

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

Photo: Brenda Gottsabend – CC License

Happy Thanksgiving Week! This week’s JOTW features multiple internship opportunities. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is seeking 1L interns for their Ella Baker Summer Internship Program in Boston, Miami, New Orleans and New York. Through CCR’s internship program, 1L students will gain practical litigation experience and sharpen their theoretical understanding of their relationship between social change, organizing, and lawyering.

If this sounds like something for you, check out the full post on PSJD. (1L Application Deadline: December 18, 2015).

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

Happy Friday! This week I had the great pleasure to award the 2015 Pro Bono Publico Award to Lark Mulligan of DePaul University College of Law.  What a great project and wonderful event!  Thank you to everyone at DePaul, and especially Shaye Loughlin and Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea for being such gracious hosts.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Bill urging free legal aid for domestic violence victims passes U.S. Senate;
• Pinellas (Florida) legal aid program receives $600,000 grant to fight human trafficking;
• New Orleans Chief Public Defender announces furlough schedule;
• New student debt report looks at Class of 2014;
• University of Calgary law school opens Public Interest Law clinic;
• Napa, Bay Area legal aids to merge;
• New York Office of Victim Services granted $1 million to build legal assistance tool;
• Nevada Attorney General launches program to help veterans;
• Alberta Justice plans review of legal aid system;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants;
• Super Music Bonus!

The summaries:

November 12, 2015 – “The U.S. Senate passed a bill Tuesday night aimed at bolstering free legal resources for victims of domestic violence. The so-called ‘POWER Act’ is the first bill to pass the Senate sponsored by Alaska’s freshman Sen. Dan Sullivan. Sullivan, a former Alaska attorney general, hopes that the bill’s bipartisan support will grant it success in the House and that it will extend his efforts to increase the number of attorneys doing pro-bono work for domestic violence victims across the country. Sullivan co-sponsored the bill with North Dakota Democrat Heidi Heitkamp, who is also a former state attorney general, he said in an interview. The bill passed the Senate by a unanimous voice vote. If the bill passes the House and is signed into law, it will require every U.S. attorney to hold at least one event every year urging private attorneys to take on free work for domestic violence victims.” (Alaska Dispatch News)

November 14, 2015 – “A Florida group that helps human trafficking victims will receive a $600,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant to continue its work, Democratic US Rep. Kathy Castor announced Friday. ‘This grant will provide more tools to Gulfcoast Legal Services and local law enforcement to aid victims of human trafficking,’ Castor said. ‘Gulfcoast now will be able to serve more than double the number of clients than previous years and will spur on the important work of the Tampa Bay Area Task Force on Human Trafficking.’ Gulfcoast Legal Services, part of the Clearwater/Tampa Bay Area Task Force on Human Trafficking, was one of 10 grantees nationwide that received part of $5.6 million in Justice Department grants. Gulfcoast’s director, John Dubrule, said without the grant money Gulfcoast would not be able to maintain or expand its staff. Now, the group expects to expand services over the next three years.” (Florida Politics)

November 16, 2015 –  “Chief Public Defender Derwyn Bunton on Monday announced a 10-day furlough plan for 2016, a move he foreshadowed last week during his office’s annual budget hearing before City Council. Although Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s 2016 budget proposal bumps the office’s funding $150,000 – or 13.5 percent – above its current level, Bunton warned council members he needed an additional $250,000 to avert furloughs. City Council will decide the office’s funding when it adopts a budget on Dec. 1. But Bunton’s decision to establish a furlough schedule in advance of a final determination seemed to serve notice that his threat was not a budget-season bluff tactic.  ‘This is real. It’s very serious,’ said Lindsey Hortenstine, spokeswoman for the Public Defenders Office. ‘Ideally we will have a different outcome at the completion of this process and won’t have to go forward with it at all.’ Bunton says the furlough days will cost the city $113,000 or more for additional time that defendants stay in jail without access to attorneys. The Public Defenders Office, which represents indigent defenders, claims to represent approximately 85 percent of Orleans Parish defendants. No public defenders will be available for court dates during furlough days, according to a news release from Bunton’s office.” (The Times-Picayune)

November 16, 2015 – Former PSJD Fellow and current Program Manager for Equal Justice Works Ashley Matthews summarizes The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) tenth annual Project on Student Debt report.  It focused on recent graduates of four-year colleges. Like previous TICAS reports, “Student Debt and the Class of 2014” provides a comprehensive overview of the student debt crisis by combining a bird’s eye view of the national scope of educational debt with state-by-state data. (Huffington Post)

November 17, 2015 – “With a gift of $1 million from the Peacock Family Foundation, the Faculty of Law has opened a new Public Interest Law Clinic, which will provide pro bono legal services to clients, facilitating access to justice and providing law students with experiential learning opportunities. Molly Naber-Sykes, has taken up the role of executive director of the clinic, and will be responsible for overseeing all clinic operations.” “Law students will work in the clinic on precedent-setting cases affecting Alberta’s vulnerable communities and the environment, allowing them to learn public interest advocacy and litigation skills. The clinic will train and inspire a new generation of lawyers to advocate in the public interest in Alberta and beyond.”(Benzinga)

November 17, 2015 – “Legal Aid of Napa Valley will become part of a wider backstop for Northern California’s less fortunate. The Napa-based agency said it will merge with Bay Area Legal Aid, effective Dec. 31. Napa will become the seventh county served by the Bay Area group, itself the product of a merger involving three county-based Legal Aid groups 15 years ago. Bay Area Legal Aid spokeswoman Linda S. Kim said the regional provider will keep the Napa agency’s office at 575 Lincoln Ave., and local clients will be able to draw on the regional group’s roster of more than 70 lawyers. Attorneys working with the not-for-profit provider represent low-income clients pro bono. ‘We have partnered on large grants and projects in the past, our staffs have worked alongside one another, and our respective boards share a common goal of equal access to justice,’ Michael Holman, co-chairman of the Legal Aid Napa Valley board, said in the statement. ‘We believe Bay Area Legal Aid will continue our core mission with the additional benefit of a larger organizational structure and sustainability.'” (Napa Valley Register)

November 17, 2015 – “A new online tool aimed at aiding crime victims in finding legal assistance in civil matters could be available after nearly $1 million in federal funding was awarded to the New York State Office of Victim Services. The Crime Victims’ Legal Network will allow individuals to determine the type of legal help they need and connect them with resources. Matters could include housing and immigration cases and family court cases involving custody, support and orders of protection, according to a release. The office received two grants totaling $999,940 from the federal Office for Victims of Crime, part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. The agency is also working with the Empire Justice Center, University at Albany’s Center for Human Services Research and Pro Bono Net. The tool will be designed to help individuals outside of New York City, as there are fewer civil legal services available in those counties. ‘This grant will allow us to expand our reach, especially to rural areas of the state. Our goal is to create a comprehensive, collaborative network to provide holistic legal assistance to better assess the needs of, and ultimately serve, victims of crime,’ Elizabeth Cronin, director for the Office of Victim Services, said. The project is expected to be completed in two, 18-month periods.” (The Auburn Citizen)

November 18, 2015 – “Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt on Wednesday formally launched a program to provide free legal assistance to members of the military, pointing to a service gap that arises because military lawyers are limited in their ability to help with civilian court matters and private attorneys are often too expensive for service members. At a news conference in Carson City, Laxalt marked the debut of the Office of Military Legal Assistance, which is believed to be the first attorney general-led program in the country that connects military members and veterans to pro bono legal services.” “More than 100 lawyers have pledged to donate at least 10 hours to service members seeking help through the program. Applicants will be able to get help with civil matters including landlord/tenant disputes, consumer fraud problems and immigration issues. Military personnel seeking assistance should contact their local JAG for a referral, while veterans should contact the Department of Veterans Affairs.” (The Washington Times)

November 18, 2015 – “Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley told a budget estimates committee Wednesday she will launch a review into how legal aid is funded, the governance model of the program, and how much lawyers are compensated, since Alberta rates are almost half what their counterparts make in Ontario. ‘Legal Aid has been experiencing a number of challenges and they have actually come forward with respect to some of those challenges,’ Ganley said. Ganley said the Alberta government has more than doubled its funding to legal aid since 2005, covering 80 per cent of the total funding of the program. The federal contribution has remained relatively constant at $10 million, while the amount offered by the Alberta Law Foundation has dwindled, since it funds the program through lawyers’ trust funds, which are earning less and less interest. ‘This year, the increase in demand for service has already hit unprecedented volumes and more people than ever are qualifying for representation,’ Jan Archbold, with Legal Aid Alberta, wrote in an email.” “The program’s governance model ends March 31, 2016. While Legal Aid Alberta is an independent organization in charge of its own operations, the program is governed jointly by Legal Aid, the province and the Law Society of Alberta, which can cause some consternation. ‘Sometimes there can be a perception of influence,’ Ganley said, since the province both governs the society, but also sits across from Albertans in the court system as prosecutor. ‘We think that Legal Aid is doing a great job acting as they are, but certainly there is a certain amount of oversight and arguably, there is a little bit too much interaction.’ She said the governance model will likely be extended until the review comes up with a solution.” (Edmonton Journal)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:  

The Greensboro Bar Association has stepped up and offered to help the Greensboro branch of The Legal Aid of North Carolina give residents another shot at life with the stigma of a criminal record through the Legal Aid’s Second Chance project. The association committed to taking on 50 cases from Legal Aid to assist them in their endeavor.

“The Greensboro Bar Association wanted to do a signature pro bono project. Something that we could get several of our members involved in regardless of their practice area,” said Afi Johnson-Parris, president of the Greensboro Bar Association and attorney at Ward Black Law Firm in Greensboro. “We choose the expungements because it was one of those things that has bipartisan support, is very formulaic and doesn’t take a lot of time to do so all of our members who have a bar license would be able to participate and it’s one of those type of projects that will make a big impact.”

The Second Chance project addresses the civil consequences of having crossed paths with the criminal justice system by helping individuals overcome barriers to employment or housing due to past arrest and conviction records. This includes helping to get criminal records expunged pro bono so it will be easier for residents to get housing, occupational and driver’s licenses, and obtain employment. Those looking for assistance would need to participate in the Legal Aid intake process before being referred to a volunteering lawyer. Legal aid is also reaching out to nonprofit and community organizations for referrals and letting them know the opportunity is available to their clients.

With Legal Aid agencies losing staff attorneys across the state, Johnson-Parris felt this was a good way for the Greensboro Bar Association to step up and help their community.

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