From the PSJD job posting:

The Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics seeks a litigation intern for a summer internship in its Civil Practice Clinics. The Civil Practice Clinics handle family law, probate, estate planning, guardianship, child welfare and social security cases for low-income and disadvantaged clients. This internship will be a 10 week full-time paid position focused on the development of litigation skills.

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by Ashley Matthews

From the National Law Journal:

Employment rates held fairly steady last year, according to data from the American Bar Association. Nine months following graduation, 82 percent of graduates had secured some form of employment—the same percentage as the class of 2011.

On a more positive note, 56 percent of the graduates secured long-term, full-time jobs that required bar passage, a 1 percent increase over the previous year. (This job category is widely seen as the most desirable).

However, there also was a 1 percent increase in the number of unemployed graduates, which stood at 11 percent nine months after graduation.

The article cites a couple of reasons the legal job market may be idling out, and also points out that J.D.-Advantage jobs are on the (slow) rise:

The class of 2012 faced a tough employment market not only because legal hiring has slowed, but also because there was more competition. The most recent graduating class was the largest on record at 46,364—more than 5 percent larger than the class of 2011, according to the ABA. (That figure is expected to decline because applications and new student enrollment has fallen off.)

There was also a slight uptick in the percentage of recent graduates in long-term, full-time jobs in which a J.D. is an advantage, if not a requirement. Nearly 10 percent of recent graduates landed jobs in that category, up by 1.4 percent from a year ago. J.D.-advantage jobs of any kind, including short-term and part-time, accounted for 13 percent of new graduate employment.

Confused about what exactly a J.D.-advantage is? Check out NALP’s informational video on where exactly this non-traditional route can take law grads.

From the PSJD job posting:

The Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) seeks a full-time staff attorney in the Los Angeles office. ICWC is a non-profit legal organization providing affordable immigration services to underrepresented women and children in California. ICWC strives to provide security and stability for children who are abused, abandoned or neglected and for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes.

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by Ashley Matthews

If you’re gearing up to take the bar exam this summer, take a look at the Bar Exam Toolbox to help yourself get ready! This site was created specifically for recent law graduates who are prepping for the bar exam. It contains links to resources that will help you succeed and blog posts on everything from making sure you’re ready to take the exam, to when you should actually start hitting the books in preparation.

If you’re a public interest law student, you may also want to consider applying for BarMax’s Public Interest Scholarship. A BarMax scholarship will cover 60% of the program’s price, making the bar review course only $395 for students working in public interest/service. Student loan expert Heather Jarvis gave the BarMax prep program a thumbs up, so it may be worth a shot.

Good luck!

The American Red Cross International Services Department responds to disasters and builds safer, more resilient communities, all while educating future humanitarians. The American Red Cross is now expanding its global programming and strengthening the global Red Cross Red Crescent network in order to provide vital assistance to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

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From the PSJD job posting:

Bronx AIDS Services, Inc. (BAS) Legal Advocacy Program provides free legal assistance to low-income Bronx families, as well as Bronx residents who are living with HIV/AIDS.  The Housing Attorney provides legal advice and direct representation to clients at risk of eviction, living in substandard housing or otherwise at risk of homelessness in all housing court proceedings and appeals, and in hearings before administrative agencies.

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by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

It’s almost time for every recent law grad’s favorite time of year: postgraduate fellowship application season!

Okay, we’ll admit – like most other PSJD content, this maybe only applies to public interest law students interested in working with non-profit or legal aid organizations. These fellowships allow recent law graduates to secure entry-level jobs with organizations that serve marginalized or vulnerable client populations, while gaining a entire network of like-minded colleagues in the public interest legal community.

With that being said, it’s time to gear up and get ready to apply! Our Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships Application Deadline Calendar offers a running list of deadlines to help you keep track, along with links to the organization’s profile and job description.

The list is always being updated, so check back on a consistent basis for approaching dates. Since the summer/fall is prime-time to apply, be sure to check last year’s deadlines to get a feel for how you might manage your applications.

From the PSJD job posting:

The new Legal Fellow for Latin America and the Caribbean will be joining the Center at an exciting time for the institution and at a critical time for the reproductive rights movement globally.  As opponents of women’s rights have increased their attacks on the legal and human rights framework at the UN, the Center is fighting back with national, regional, and international strategies embodied in a new strategic plan launched in early 2012.  The plan intensifies our efforts to strengthen the legal protections for access to safe and legal abortion, affordable contraception, the expansion of the reproductive rights of adolescents, and the recognition that the prevention of maternal mortality is a fundamental human rights issue.

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by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments about the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8. These historic civil rights cases mark the first time the Supreme Court has reviewed gay marriage, and the decisions may greatly impact the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection.

If you want an overview on the cases and how they may unfold this term, check out the SCOTUSblog’s Q&A. It features Bloomber reporter Greg Stohr briefly breaking down the cases by legal issues, and presents a couple of possible outcomes. The New York Times also has a similar Q&A.

From the PSJD job posting:

Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks a Federal  Legislative Counsel to join its policy team. The Federal Legislative Counsel will aid the Legislative Director in planning and implementing Americans  United’s federal legislative program and will represent the organization on  Capitol Hill, in coalitions, and in external speaking engagements. Work will  include: tracking legislation, analyzing bills and amendments, lobbying  legislators, monitoring committee proceedings, drafting policy and advocacy  materials, and helping coordinate two national coalitions.

Successful applicants will have a J.D. and experience with the legislative process, ideally involving church-state separation or other civil rgihts issues along with experience working with coalitions and elected officials. For more information, view the full job listing at PSJD.org (log-in required).