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

Happy Friday!  The first day of summer is today, and I’ve been reminded often this week of events 50 years ago during a particularly volatile summer in US history.  Most would agree, that summer changed America forever.  So, we look back at those who fought the good fight and strive to help those continuing today to serve in the public interest.

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

Here are the week’s headlines:

• CA poised to require practical skills training AND pro bono before bar admittance;
• Massachusetts Attorney General announces new Summer Public Interest Scholarship;
• NOLO prosecutors commended for bringing down murder rate – PD Office can’t handle indictments;
• Michigan set to overhaul criminal indigent defense system;
• Local nonprofits gain grant to help domestic violence victims in Georgia;
• Could the unpaid internship be gone forever?;
• Another way to create community practices – law school incubator programs;
• NY mandatory disclosure of pro bono hours and contributions will be publicly available;
• And the NY Courts broadened the definition of pro bono for the disclosure requirement;
• DC Bar Foundation grants &700,00 to civil legal services;
• MD Court of Appeals to decide Public Defender access to arrestees;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants – Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law;
• Super Music Bonus featuring Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow!

The summaries:

June 14, 2013 – “A task force of the State Bar of California has recommended that new attorneys be required to complete at least 15 hours of practical skills training and 50 hours of pro bono service before they are admitted to practice. ”  If passed, California would be the first state to require the practical skills training.  The State Bar Board of Trustees could vote as early as October and the measure could be implemented for 2015.  (National Law Journal)

June 14, 2013 – Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley announced the establishment of the Nathaniel Downing Public Interest Internship for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s 2013 Legal Intern Program.  The internship is in honor of Nathaniel S. Downing, a third year law student and employee of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division who died unexpectedly last April.  The first recipient is Michelle Bauer.  She will receive “a scholarship over the course of the summer to help further pursue her goals.”  (Mass.gov)

June 14, 2013– In the last 30 days, there have been major indictments of multiple defendants to include multiple counts of murder in the Orleans Parish.  There has been a 22% decrease in homicides year-to-date over last year.  “The public defender’s office in New Orleans called group prosecutions ‘a commendable effort to address the city’s violence.’ But the office noted that effort ‘stresses an already strained public defense office and criminal justice system.'”   With large indictments comes a number of requests for public defenders.  After the PD and conflict offices are exhausted, the other defendants may qualify for contract counsel.  But, with the recent budget cuts, there are not enough contract attorneys to handle the overflow.  Chief Public Defender Derwyn Bunton agreed with District Attorney Cannizzaro’s policy of making the City safe, but he said, “Without resources – including stable, predictable, reliable, adequate funding – many of these cases will go nowhere. You can only prosecute as fast as you can defend.”  (The Times Picayune)

June 14, 2013 – “The Senate and House on Thursday approved identical bills, setting the stage for them to be finalized and sent to the governor as early as next week, to create the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. The 16-member body would be tasked with researching, developing and enforcing minimum standards for constitutionally-guaranteed legal representation in jurisdictions around the state.”  The system is currently managed at the county level, which can lead to varying levels of representation.  The commission would establish state-wide standards.(MLive)

June 14, 2013– The Judicial Council of Georgia Domestic Violence Committee awarded an almost $1.7 billion grant that “will help bring legal services to around 4,500 people with low income around Georgia who have suffered from domestic violence and are working to bounce back.  A spokeswoman for the Judicial Council reported that the funds are given each year to develop domestic violence training and legal services for victims.”  “For the Fiscal Year 2014, the nonprofits receiving the grant include Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc., Gateway House, Georgia Law Center for the Homeless, Georgia Legal Services Program, Northeast Georgia Shelter Collaborative, Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center, Inc., Peace Place, Salvation Army of Central Georgia and Wayne County Protective Agency/Fair Haven.”(Mableton 11 Alive)

June 15, 2013– Not for every organization, but for for-profit employers, it could be on the decline.  A Georgetown Law Student successfully sued Fox Searchlight Pictures.  “A federal judge in New York ruled this week that Fox Searchlight Pictures violated minimum wage and overtime laws by not paying interns who worked on production of the 2010 movie Black Swan.”  In response to the company’s assertion that the interns gained valuable benefit, the Judge wrote, “Undoubtedly Mr. Glatt and Mr. Footman received some benefits from their internships, such as resume listings, job references and an understanding of how a production office works.  But those benefits were incidental to working in the office like any other employees and were not the result of internships intentionally structured to benefit them.”  This ruling may cause many organizations to rethink their internship programs. (Sun Herald)

June 17, 2013 – Even in a good market, it might be tough for law students and graduates to find their public service niche.  In a down economy, they need all the help they can get.  That is where law school incubator programs can come in.  Similar to law school clinics in structure, one big difference is the number of cases handled.  A typical law graduate in an incubator program could handle 25 cases vs the 1 or 2 in a clinical setting.  But this is not for the faint of heart.  After the term of the program, participants will open their own practices and one must have the drive to serve the community or the venture will fail.  Four schools are featured in the article, but there are about a dozen more programs if you are looking to start one.  (US News)

June 19, 2013 – The pro bono hours and contributions to groups providing legal services that New York lawyers will need to provide on the biennial registration forms will be available to the public.  “It is our responsibility to give it out,” Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said in a recent interview. “If someone asks for the information, they can have it.”   Some lawyers don’t feel so good about the new rule.  Many are worried about what they consider a disclosure of confidential information.  Some are concerned the next step is mandatory pro bono.  The disclosure requirement has been in place in Illinois, Florida and Maryland for years.  In Maryland and Illinois the information is confidential.  In Florida, it is subject to public disclosure.  (New York Law Journal)

June 19, 2013 – Responding to a major concern that transactional attorneys who frequently advise nonprofit clients in their pro bono practice would be deterred for doing so if it didn’t count as pro bono for the rule, the NY Courts expanded the pro bono definition.   “In response to the objections, the court amended its definition of pro bono for the disclosure rule: lawyers should now use the pro bono interpretation under Rule 6.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct to report their hours.”  (New York Law Journal)

June 20, 2013– The DC Bar Foundation announced DC Civil Legal Services (DC-CLS) awards totaling $700,000 to support direct civil legal services for the poor and underserved in the District, as well as $7,770 in mid-year Poverty Lawyer LRAP (Loan Repayment Assistance Program) Awards, the latter funded by an appropriation from the District of Columbia Council, and awarded by DCBF pursuant to its grant agreement with the District of Columbia, Office of Victim Services. (DC Bar Foundation)

June 20, 2013 – MD Court of Appeals set to decide when indigent criminal defendants are first entitled to counsel.  The issue is whether lower-income arrestees had the constitutional right to a public defender at the initial stage of the judicial process.   Currently, public defenders are available only after an indigent client has been held as per a commissioner’s decision, and has to appear before a District Court judge for a bail review hearing. (Baltimore News)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:  In honor of Juneteenth and the 50th Anniversary of dedicated work on behalf of those who couldn’t fight for themselves, today we honor the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.  Conceived by President John F. Kennedy on this date in 1963, it enlisted the private bar’s leadership and resources in combating racial discrimination and the resulting inequality of opportunity.  And work still remains.  You can help in moving America toward justice.  Here’s how.

Super Music Bonus! From PSJD Fellow Ashley M. – If I Had A Hammer – the Trini Lopez version hit the charts in the Summer of 1963.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AvULw1mfJA

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association is now seeking nominations for the 2013 Kutak-Dodds Prize, an annual award that goes to a lawyer whose work makes a significant contribution to improving the human dignity of the poor.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re in D.C. for the summer, this is a great opportunity to network with other public interest law students and lawyers! Check out the details and a message from our friends at the Washington Council of Lawyers after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »

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

Happy Friday!  And Happy Father’s Day to all those Dads, Grandads, and Dads in spirit.  We so appreciate you!!

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

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Legal Sector sheds 500 jobs in May;
• Texas State Bar budget includes funding for pro bono fellowships;
• Law School clinics provide legal services worthy of a fee award;
• ABA announces 2013 Innovation Grants;
• The unpaid internship debate rages in Canada as well;
• NJ proposed bill would allow money from increased court fees to go to legal aid;
• Harvard is taking the school funded fellowship to the next level;
• Good tips for taking on pro bono at any experience level;
• Another federal defender victim of sequestration – complex or high-profile cases;
• Legal Services NYC strike taking toll on clients;
• Senator urges funding for law school clinics to help vets;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants – Shout out to Touro Law School’s Disaster Relief Clinic;
• Super Music Bonus featuring Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow!

The summaries:

June 7, 2013 – The legal sector shed 500 jobs in May, but may not be a sign of continuing bad times.  “While the legal sector lost jobs in May, that did not significantly affect the number of people employed in the legal industry, which remained about 1.129 million, the bureau said. The report also showed there were 7,800 more people employed in the sector in May compared to the same time in 2012.”  Could this be a sign of improvement?  (Thomson Reuters)

June 7, 2013 – Subscription required – In response to a controversy over pro se divorce forms, “the next budget for the State Bar of Texas includes funding for fellowships for three new legal-aid family lawyers and for launching a pro bono awareness campaign.”  (Texas Lawyer)

June 7, 2013 – Apparently it took a court ruling to confirm what we already know – law school clinics provide “real” and valuable representation.  In a case that took more than 4 years, Fordham University School of Law’s Family Advocacy Clinic aksed the New York City Department of Education for legal fees.  The Department objected saying much of the work was for educational purposes only.  Not so, responded the Judge.  He acknowledged that while some of the hours should be cut because it might have been duplicative for learning purposes, most of the hours billed were legitimate.   (National Law Journal)

June 7, 2013 – The ABA Access to Justice Commission Expansion Project announces its 2013 Innovation Grants.  These grants “promote innovation by encouraging Access to Justice Commissions to develop and test innovative new projects replicable in other states and expand the scope of their ongoing activities into broad new areas beyond existing work. Grants target critical areas of potential innovation.”  The other goal is to replicate these innovations elsewhere.  (ABA)

June 10, 2013 – With fewer law firms hiring articling students and more students graduating from law school every year, the possibility of students taking unpaid articling opportunities has risen sharply.  The applicable rules are very similar to those in the US.  There is agreement that law students should have an opportunity to work on pro bono cases with law firms for free.  There is also a strong argument detailing the deleterious effects of unpaid internships.  (Canadian Lawyer Magazine)

June 10, 2013 – Proposed legislation in New Jersey would allow the NJ Supreme Court to raise court fees to fund modernizing the record-keeping system and provide a steady source of additional funding for legal aid.  If enacted, the bill would go into effect July 1, 2013. (NJToday)

June 10, 2013 – Taking on pro bono work, especially for law students and younger attorneys, may seem daunting.  As more states appear poised to require some amount of pro bono hours prior to admittance to the Bar, we’re going to see more students who never thought about pro bono before having to find resources and get it done.  Here are some great tips from our friends at the Washington State Bar Association that might help.  (Washington State Bar Association NWSidebar)

June 11, 2013 – Those who know me know a big issue for me is funding for students to go out and make their dreams a reality.  Harvard Law School has taken up the call.  “Sixteen public service visionaries and social entrepreneurs from Harvard Law School have been selected as the inaugural recipients of grants from the Public Service Venture Fund, a unique program which will award up to $1 million each year to help graduating Harvard Law students and recent graduates obtain their ideal jobs in public service—even if those jobs don’t yet exist.”  The program is in response to the greater demand for more funding options for student-led projects.  (Press Release – HLS)

June 12, 2013 – The Federal Defender in Idaho is requesting withdrawal from a terrorism case due to limited resources.  In making the request, Executive Director Samuel Richard Rubin correctly points out that their responsibility is to handle 74% of federal indigent defense in Idaho.  That would become much more difficult if the resources required to be expended in the case were used in just one case.  The Judge has yet to respond to the motion.   (NPR as reported by Minnesota Public Radio)

June 12, 2013 – As the Legal Services NYC strike enters its second month, services have been affected.  A sign on the door of the Harlem office says they are not accepting any new clients. Potential clients are being referred to other legal aid organizations.  (WNYC News)

June 12, 2013 – U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen urged members of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Wednesday to pass a bill that would enhance law school programs that provide free legal services to veterans.  The bill she co-sponsored “would allow the VA to coordinate with law schools that offer legal services to veterans. She said 18 states have law school clinics for veterans but the goal is to have one in every state.”  (Air Force Times)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:  This week we say thank you to Touro’s Disaster Relief Clinic and the many like it who are helping folks after natural disasters.  Long after the news media moves on to the next story, thousands of people with complicated legal problems are left behind.  This is where law students are so valuable!  Check out the details of one of their cases.  (Long Island News 12)

Super Music Bonus! PSJD Fellow Ashley M. says Happy Father’s Day from PSJD (she let me pick this one :))  She may never let me choose one again.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIt0NLJQvTY

From the PSJD job posting:

The Colorado Juvenile Defender Coalition (CJDC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring excellence in juvenile defense and advocacy, and justice for all children and youth in Colorado. CJDC is a strong advocate for the right to counsel and strives to elevate the practice of juvenile defense by presenting continuing legal education seminars and developing materials for juvenile defenders. CJDC seeks to protect the rights and improve the treatment of children and youth in the juvenile justice system through non-partisan research, policy advocacy, and organizing. We believe in promoting the strengths and success of youth while holding youth accountable in developmentally appropriate ways that promote justice, healing, and public safety. CJDC, an effective non-profit that is young and growing, is in an exciting period of recent success and organizational development. Our team serves collaboratively with excellence and integrity and we seek an exceptional candidate committed to producing impactful outcomes for youth justice.

Position Overview

CJDC seeks a dynamic and talented Staff Attorney to help implement the juvenile defense and policy programs of the organization under the supervision of the Executive Director. This full-time salaried position with health benefits and paid vacation is based in Denver, Colorado, and has the potential for leadership advancement as the organization grows. Salary is based upon experience, starting at 55k. Periodic night and weekend work is required, as is occasional travel.

Sounds right up your alley? The deadline to apply is July 8, 2013. Be sure to check out the full job listing at PSJD.org (log-in required) for more information on salary and application instructions.

The Bronx Defenders is an innovative, progressive, holistic defense office in the South Bronx. They are currently seeking an energetic staff attorney with a commitment to social justice to fill an opening in its Civil Action Practice with an August start date.

From the PSJD job posting:

• The Civil Action Practice seeks a staff attorney to provide comprehensive advocacy and representation to help our clients resolve a broad range of civil legal problems such as eviction & barriers to housing, loss of employment licenses, criminal record errors, access to public and disability benefits, forfeiture of property and police misconduct.
• The attorney will work collaboratively with criminal defense and family defense attorneys, advocates and social workers to assess client legal needs.
• The attorney will represent individuals in a range of activities, including negotiations, administrative and judicial proceedings and trials, with a particular concentration in housing court, public benefits and forfeiture proceedings.
• The attorneys also will be involved in community trainings and public education.

The deadline to apply is July 1, 2013. For more information, view the full job listing at PSJD.org (log-in required).

From our friends at Equal Justice Works:

Thank you for the overwhelming response to last month’s promotion for our student debt e-book, Take Control of Your Future. We’re happy to announce that C. Lee of Brooklyn, NY was the winner of the $100 Amazon gift card!

Even if you didn’t win (we never win anything either!) we still urge you to purchase Take Control of Your Future. At only $5.99 it won’t break the bank, and it’s an incredible resource for anyone who has (or constantly gets asked) questions about borrowing, repayment or forgiveness for federal student loans.

In other news, our free June webinars are:

Drowning in Debt? Learn How Government and Nonprofit Workers Can Earn Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Wednesday, June 12, 3-4 p.m. EDT

Thursday, June 27, 3-4 p.m. EDT

A must attend for anyone with educational debt planning to work or currently working for the government or a nonprofit, this webinar explains how you can benefit from income driven repayment plans, including President Obama’s new Pay As You Earn program, and exactly how Public Service Loan Forgiveness works.

While you’re waiting for the next webinar, catch up on all the student debt news at the Student Loan Ranger. Last month we reviewed the proposals in Congress to halt the imminent doubling of interest rates on subsidized Federal Direct Loans, examined the student debt struggles of service members, and took  a look at a proposal to simplify the student loan system (that would be nice!). This month’s topics include the effect of the upcoming budget battles on education and take a look at if (or how much) the Department of Education profits on student loans.

This job is for our litigation-shy students out there. The Urban Justice Center’s Community Development Project is accepting applications for a 2013 Transactional Legal Fellow.

The Community Development Project strengthens the impact of grassroots organizations in New York City’s low-income and other excluded communities.  Currently, transactional legal services work includes land use, community benefits agreements, nonprofit law, corporate governance, federal income tax exemption, for-profit worker cooperative business structuring, and affordable housing.

Applicants with experience working with, in, or on behalf of community-based organizations are strongly encouraged to apply.  Applicants must either be admitted to the New York Bar, or sitting for the New York Bar not later than July 2014.  Applicants of color and applicants with foreign language abilities, particularly Spanish, are also encouraged to apply.

The deadline to apply is June 13, 2013 (this Thursday!). For more information and application instructions, check out the full job description at PSJD.org (log-in required).

by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

Save the date! The East of the River Casehandlers group is having their annual lunch-and-learn next month on 07/18, and it’s sure to be an eye-opening and informative experience for any public interest law student or lawyer working in D.C. over the summer.

From the group:

The East of the River Casehandlers group invites all legal interns, summer associates, law students and pro bono attorneys to find out more about practicing public interest law east of the Anacostia River. This brown bag lunch program and panel will feature attorneys from legal services providers that serve the residents of these diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. The panel will include a former legal services client who will help us better understand the challenges low-income residents face every day. Imoni Washington of the DC Bar Foundation will also join us to discuss the Loan Repayment Assistance Program for public interest lawyers working in the District and the recent grants the DCBF has made to legal services providers east of the river. Registration for this event will open on June 24, 2013.

For those unfamiliar with Washington, D.C. geography, “east of the Anacostia River” refers to the historically under-served communities of Wards 7 and 8 in the southeast and southwest sections of the city. The hosting group – East of the River Casehandlers – meets every three months in Ward 8 to share information, discuss strategies and plan legal information programs for community members and legal services attorneys.

The event will take place from 12 – 1:30pm, and is tentatively located at Neighborhood Legal Services Program of D.C., at 3101 MLK Avenue SE. To register for “Practicing Public Interest Law East of the Anacostia River”, contact Heather Hodges at HHodges@nlsp.org or (202) 269-5100.

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

Happy Friday! Welcome to June.  I hope those of you attending the Diversity Summit are enjoying the wonderful programming and camaraderie.

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

Today we congratulate the 2013 ABA Pro Bono Publico Award winners.

Here are the week’s headlines:

• Pro Bono Institute summary of Marketplace of Ideas;
• July hike in student loan interest rates explained;
• Student loans part II – a good summary of the legislation;
• A break down of which states have the highest/lowest law graduate to legal job ratio;
• Burlington, Mt Vernon public defenders on trial;
• Florida’s capital punishment system going from bad to worse?;
• Missouri bill could ease public defender caseload;
• Boston Bar task force examines legal aid issues in state;
• Laura and John Arnold Foundation Announces Partnership with Louisville Metro Government to Improve Criminal Justice system;
• California Senate Passes Law to Revoke Status of Nonprofits With Anti-Gay Policies;
• Law graduate discharges student loan in bankruptcy;
• Update: Talks resume in Legal Services NYC strike;
• Late bar exam results negatively impacting graduate employment statistics;
• Spotlight on Public Service Servants – ABA Pro Bono Publico Winners
• Super Music Bonus featuring Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow!

The summaries:

May 30, 2013 – The Pro Bono Institute held its annual conference, which included two dynamic sessions entitled “Marketplace of Ideas.”  Here organizations discussed their pro bono innovations.  Check them out.  (PBEye)

June 3, 2013 – Ok, I think everyone knows by now that student loan repayment is not my strong suit.  Well, here is an article that explains the pending hike in interest rates in terms that even I can understand.   The good news is the interest rates will only increase on federally subsidized Stafford Loans, which are need-based and for undergraduate students only.  But stay tuned, there is proposed legislation that would effect law student loans and debt that we will be following closely.  (ABC News)

June 3, 2013 – Student loan crisis, part II.  Here is a pretty good summary of the proposed legislation.  (Tuition IO)

June 3, 2013 – By now we all know that the law school graduate legal job ratio is not 1-1.  For those folks counseling students with some geographic flexibility, this article may be of some use.  Unfortunately, as with most things, the data lags, so this is based on 2011 employment data.  But, according to this analysis, Alaska, Wyoming and Nevada are the best bets.  (The Atlantic)

June 3, 2013 – The public defenders in Burlington and Mt Vernon, Washington go on trial today.  “They are accused of spending little or no time on client cases.”  “The suit is asking a federal judge to require the cities to appoint supervisors to make sure the public defenders are doing all they can for their clients. ”   (MyNorthwest.com)

June 3, 2013 – A debate over the Timely Justice Act in Florida is highlighting the potentially dismal defense those accused of capital crimes could face because their public defenders are so overworked and underfunded.  “The measure would require the governor to sign a convicted murderer’s death warrant within 30 days after the conclusion of all appeals and would require an execution by lethal injection to take place within 180 days. It also limits the appellate options available to defense attorneys fighting on behalf of their clients and seeks to ensure — feebly, under the circumstances — that death row inmates are given better representation by their court-appointed counsel.”  In a state which has averaged more than one capital exoneration every two years since 1973, moving the capital punishment system to go faster does not seem like a good solution to the problem.   (The Atlantic)

June 3, 2013 – “Legislation that could ease the caseload of Missouri public defenders is being considered by Gov. Jay Nixon.”  The bill would allow the public defender system to petition the presiding judge of a judicial circuit for a conference to discuss caseload issues. The judge could then decide whether to grant relief in a particular case.  (the News Tribune)

June 3, 2013 – “This first stage will involve determining which geographic and demographic segments of the Commonwealth are in greatest need of civil legal aid, but not getting it, said J. D. Smeallie, president of the Boston Bar, in a statement.”  The next steps will be to identify ways to deliver civil legal aid in the most cost effective manner.  Additionally, a Supreme Judicial Court decision which took effect in January will allow corporate counsel who are not licensed in Massachusetts to provide pro bono legal aid.  (Boston Business Journal)

June 4, 2013 – The Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) has announced a multi-year partnership with the Louisville Metro government to increase public safety and make the criminal justice system more cost-effective, efficient, and fair.  The focus of the grant is to use data-driven solutions, technology, and analytics to reduce crime, promote just outcomes, and make the best use of public resources.  The Foundation plans to evaluate which tools and system reforms work best and replicate them nationwide.  One of the areas the Mayor hopes to address with the grant is overcrowded jails.  The focus of the project is the front end of the criminal justice system from arrest to sentencing.  (The Foundation Center)

June 5, 2013 – The California Senate passed the Youth Equality Act, which would require tax-exempt organizations that discriminate to pay state taxes, while donors supporting such groups would have to pay taxes on their donations. The bill now advances to the state assembly. (Sacramento Bee)

June 5, 2013 – A law student has been allowed to discharge most of his student loan debt in bankruptcy.  The facts of this case are fairly specific, but this ruling by the Ninth Circuit could have a widespread impact on student loan debt.  In this case, the individual failed the bar twice (thus losing his attorney job) and then missed the third test due to a mishap.  Since then, he has made every effort to pay his monthly payment, including accepting a garnishment of wages.  When the lender sought to increase the garnishment to something he couldn’t afford, he filed for bankruptcy.  One of the keys to this discharge is that the borrower did everything in his power to repay the debt.  But, I’m certain there are equally as compelling stories out there, so this is something to watch.  (Morning Money)

June 5, 2013 – Both sides are negotiating in good faith and seem to be making progress on some key sticking points.  Union and management officials are hopeful as they resume talks.  The strike is now in its third week.  (New York Law Journal)

June 6, 2013 – Law school deans across the country have concerns that late bar exam results are having a significant negative impact on graduate employment statistics.  In response, the “ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar on Friday will take up a proposal to move the data collection timeline from nine months after graduation to 10 months. The council’s data policy and collection committee, which put forth the proposal, said it is an effort to level the playing field between states that release bar exam results and admit new lawyers relatively quickly, and states that take more time.”  “Should the council sign off, the new timeline could go into effect for this year’s graduating class, said Barry Currier, the ABA’s managing director of accreditation and legal education. ”  Note: NALP Executive Director James Leipold contributed to this story.  (The National Law Journal)

May 30, 2013 – “Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law a bill that will increase funds dedicated to legal aid for indigent Texans from civil penalties and civil restitution recovered by the Texas attorney general.  House Bill 1445, authored by State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, will raise the cap on the amount of money raised through civil penalties and civil restitution that can be dedicated to legal aid for indigent Texans.”  (Austin Business Journal)

Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants:  The ABA Pro Bono Publico Award is presented each year by the Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service to honor individual lawyers, law firms, law schools, government attorney offices, corporate law departments and other institutions in the legal profession that have enhanced the human dignity of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to the poor.  The recipients are:  Bruce B. Blackwell | Orlando, FL; Jeffrey Trachtman | New York, NY; Patricia Lee | Las Vegas, NV; Exelon | Chicago, IL; Leonard, Street and Deinard | Minneapolis, MN  (ABA)

Super Music Bonus! PSJD Fellow Ashley M. keeps bringing the fun with a particularly applicable choice! Enjoy!

This is dedicated to all the public interest law grads struggling to pay off their student loans: