EDITOR’S NOTE: Every summer, PSJD hires current law and pre-law students as Project Assistants. They help us manage our website, social media marketing, and more.  These students come from different schools all over the country, but they are all united in their commitment to pro bono and public interest law. They do such an amazing job at helping us out that we’ve dubbed them our “Project Assassins”! Every day this week, a different Project Assassin will be contributing to the blog, discussing their particular legal interests. In this edition, Charis Redmond, a senior pre-law student at George Washington University, discusses her journey through the law school application process and her dedication to youth and education.

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From the PSJD job posting:

The ACLU of Washington is a non-profit public interest organization devoted to protecting civil rights and civil liberties. Its staff of thirty employees and numerous volunteers work in a fast-paced, friendly and professional office.

The Project: The ACLU of Washington is working to advance a comprehensive, strategic and effective education and advocacy campaign to safeguard access to medical care free from restrictions based on others’ religious doctrine. Increasingly, secular hospitals are merging with religiously affiliated ones and coming under their religious restrictions to care. The ACLU of Washington believes that no patient should be refused access to lawful health care because of the religious doctrines of the institutions running hospitals, clinics, or other medical facilities. Health care facilities open to the general public should not refuse to provide reproductive health care and end-of-life care services; nor should they discriminate against LGBT patients and families. Religious ideology should not dictate which health care services a patient may choose.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Every summer, PSJD hires current law students as Project Assistants. They help us manage our website, social media marketing, and more.  These students come from different law schools all over the country, but they are all united in their commitment to pro bono and public interest law. They do such an amazing job at helping us out that we’ve dubbed them our “Project Assassins”! Every day this week, a different Project Assassin will be contributing to the blog, discussing their particular legal interests. In this edition, Denai Neilander, a rising 2L at University of San Francisco College of Law, discusses why she believes politics and public policy should be at the heart of public interest work.

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by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

If you’re on the job hunt, you’ve probably heard about Idealist.org. It’s a great jobs site that focuses solely on nonprofit and social impact work, and includes everything from development gigs to international human rights fellowships. Last week, Idealist contributing writer Katie Mang wrote a great blog post on starting and implementing a pro bono project. The article is written in general terms to apply to any career field, but she’s got lots of great tips for us law students and lawyers as well. Here’s a few tips that especially apply to law student and attorneys providing pro bono service:

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Every summer, PSJD hires current law students as Project Assistants. They help us manage our website, social media marketing, and more.  These students come from different law schools all over the country, but they are all united in their commitment to pro bono and public interest law. They do such an amazing job at helping us out that we’ve dubbed them our “Project Assassins”! Every day this week, a different Project Assassin will be contributing to the blog, discussing their particular legal interests. In this edition, Blerta Mileti, a rising 2L at University of Iowa College of Law, discusses the right to counsel for immigrant detainees.

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From the PSJD job posting:

Consumer Watchdog, a nationally recognized, California-based citizen advocacy group, deploys an in-house team of public interest attorneys, policy experts, and grassroots activists to advance and protect the interests of consumers and taxpayers. Our work, which is spotlighted daily in the national and local media, includes advocating before the courts, regulatory agencies, and the Legislature in the areas of corporate accountability, health care reform, insurance reform, consumer privacy, legal system reform, and other state and federal matters.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Every summer, PSJD hires current law students as Project Assistants. They help us manage our website, social media marketing, and more.  These students come from different law schools all over the country, but they are all united in their commitment to pro bono and public interest law. They do such an amazing job at helping us out that we’ve dubbed them our “Project Assassins”! Every day this week, a different Project Assassin will be contributing to the blog, discussing their particular legal interests. First up: David Munoz, a rising 2L at American University Washington College of Law! Read on to see what he has to say about the Supreme Court’s recent decisions on gay marriage.

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Farmworker Justice, a nonprofit serving migrant and seasonal farmworkers across the country, is looking for a Fellow to support their work on health, labor rights and immigration policy. Anyone with a bachelor’s degree can apply, but Farmworker Justice also handles litigation. This would make a great part-time job for any interested law graduate waiting for bar results! From the PSJD job posting:

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

Happy Friday!  Looking for something to do this weekend?  Check out our Having Fun on the Cheap series on PSJD for great options in a number of cities.

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants: If you know someone we should honor, drop me a line.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• The Association of Legal Aid Plans of Canada supports training to help meet legal needs of clients with mental health issues;
• Connecticut Bar Association Young Lawyers Division raises $2.1 million in pro bono service;
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid celebrates 100 years of advocacy!;
• Harvard’s Legal Aid Bureau also celebrating 100 years of service;
• Legal aid in Ontario seeing unexpected cuts;
• Good example of creating community partnerships – VA awards $1.4 million to Goodwill;
• Dramatic changes to legal service delivery being discussed in Nova Scotia;
• NY panel to look at ways in-house can provide pro bono and increase access to justice;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants: Legal Aid of Nebraska is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year;
• Super Music Bonus featuring Kristian Smith, PSJD’s Summer Public Interest Projects & Publications Fellow! Read the rest of this entry »

From the PSJD job posting:

The Department’s Honors Attorney Program offers new law graduates (and recent law graduates completing judicial clerkships or fellowships) a unique opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the Department’s diverse law practice.

During the two-year program, honors attorneys rotate once in the Department’s Office of the General Counsel and in up to five Chief Counsels’ Offices of the Department’s operating administrations.

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