The National Abortion Federation (NAF), the leading pro-choice organization representing abortion providers and their patients, has an immediate full-time opening for the position of Staff Counsel.

NAF is a 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to ensuring that abortion is safe, legal, and accessible. Our members include 400 clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices in the United States, Canada and Mexico City. Our dynamic and innovative programs span a wide range of services designed to meet the unique needs of abortion providers and the patients they serve. NAF’s programs include: accredited continuing medical education; quality assurance and improvement; clinic security and law enforcement education; clinical, legal, and consumer publications; public education; public policy advocacy; group purchasing and a national toll-free hotline.

To learn more, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

Street Law, Inc. is an international leader in programs that teach non-lawyers about law, democracy and human rights.  Founded in 1972 at Georgetown University Law Center, Street Law has helped more than 100 law schools (70 in the U.S. and 30 more around the world) develop and implement programs in which law students teach practical law in schools, communities and correctional settings.  Street Law has also worked with democratizing countries throughout the world.  Information about the organization’s programs and materials are available online at www.streetlaw.org.

There are several components to the Summer Law Student in Residence Program for 2012.

US Supreme Court Summer Institute

Street Law, in cooperation with the Supreme Court Historical Society, conducts two six day institutes in late June about the Court and its cases for high school government, civics and law teachers.  Sessions are held at Georgetown Law Center and at the Supreme Court of the United States.

Our law student assists in the development of the materials for the institute, participates in all sessions, helps teach one session, and assists with the institute follow-up.  A justice participates in the program, which also includes attendance in Court for the announcement of the final cases of the term. (www.streetlaw.org/scipage.html)

Legal Updates to Street Law Web Sites

Street Law has produced a high school curriculum (Street Law: A Course in Practical Law) which is the most popular practical law book used in high schools today. We will be providing a legal update to the web materials that complement the 8^th edition of the text (2010 edition).

In addition, Street Law has developed a popular web site for high school teachers and students who want to learn about Supreme Court decisions mandated in state history and social studies standards.  Our summer law student in residence will assist in expanding and updating this web resource, www.landmarkcases.org.

Our law student will assist with research, writing and editing tasks.

Summer law students are supervised by Lee Arbetman, lead author of the Street Law materials, director of the Supreme Court Summer Institute, and executive director of the Street Law organization.

To learn how to apply, see the listing at PSLawNet!

Intern with the nation’s largest, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to legal issues in the healthcare field with more than 10,000 members. Currently 38 staff members are responsible for the operational activities of the organization.

The mission of the American Health Lawyers Association is to provide a collegial forum for interaction and information exchange to enable its members to serve their clients more effectively; to produce the highest quality nonpartisan educational programs, products, and services concerning health law issues; and to serve as a public resource on selected healthcare legal issues.

As the 2012 Diversity Intern, you can expect to assist the Vice President and Managing Editor of Professional Resources, as well as the Senior Manager of Public Interest by editing law journals and newsletters, interviewing industry leaders, and monitoring legal developments in health law.

Additionally, the position affords a student multiple opportunities for networking with health attorneys.

Interested? Learn more at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

Here at NALP we have a bookstore filled to the brim with incredibly helpful books on the legal market and career development. One of particular interest to us at PSLawNet is Landing a Federal Legal Job: Finding Success in the U.S. Government Job Market by Richard L. Hermann.

In addition to going into great detail about … well, almost every facet of federal legal jobs, the author lays out over 20 pros and cons of getting into the fed biz. Here are a few of the highlights:

The Pros

• The Inevitable Exodus of Retirees.

The average federal employee is 50 years old. In the next several years, the government anticipates a demand for new hires.

• Work/Life Balance

The majority of federal government attorneys enjoy 35-40 hour work weeks. Also, the government’s vacation policy and benefits are generous.

• Transferability

Once you get your foot in the door, you’re in a good position to move around laterally within your agency and even other agencies.

The Cons

• Promotion Ceilings

I like this quote on the subject; it says it all — “If you are consumed with ambition, the federal government may leave you somewhat frustrated.”

• Marketability

Oftentimes, government attorneys practice within a very narrow field, which makes it difficult to move into the private sector. However, there are exceptions.

• Drug Testing

LOL. I’ll say no more.

Also, unofficially — I’d add the ugly job market and its effect on landing government positions to the con list.

So, now I want to know — are you interested in federal jobs? Have you applied to some already? What were your considerations before applying?

by Kristen Pavón

Hi everyone — I hope you’ve all been enjoying the holidays with lots of friends and family, and are getting ready to take on the new year!

Today, I’m bringing you some tried and true pointers for the job search. In addition to suggesting words to avoids on your resume, Career Builder’s Jobology guide includes 5 annoying actions to steer clear of during the interview process!

1. Arriving too early.

2. Acting desperate.

3. Following up aggressively.

4. Badmouthing anyone.

5. Lacking direction. (Yes, you should be flexible in “this economy,” but always tailor application materials to the job you’ve applied for and be prepared to talk about how the job will further your professional goals.)

I have a few additional suggestions:

• Maintain eye contact with interviewers.
• Ask questions!
• Double- and triple-check that you’ve turned your phone off.

Anything else?

Northwest Defenders Association is a non-profit public defender agency representing clients in Seattle, Washington.  Agency attorneys and staff represent adult and juvenile clients charged with criminal offenses, parents and children in dependency actions and respondents in contempt of court proceedings.

Northwest Defenders Association is offering three internship positions with stipends of $1500 each for law students who have completed their second year of school.  They are offered in honor of Kimiko Nagaoka Mukai, mother of former Board Treasurer Don Mukai.  Ms. Mukai was in her second year of college when President Theodore Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, requiring Japanese Americans to report to internment camps.  Ms. Mukai and her family were held at Camp Minidoka in Idaho.  She was never able to complete college but received an honorary degree in 2002 at the age of 90.

If you’re interested, see the listing at PSLawNet!

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is looking for a highly skilled, enthusiastic, articulate, and motivated Youth Project Director/Staff Attorney based at its national office located in San Francisco. NCLR wants someone with a law degree and a minimum of 3-5 years of legal or professional experience that prepares the applicant to lead NCLR’s Youth Project work in juvenile justice, child welfare, and other settings.

NCLR is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding nearly 35 years ago, the National Center for Lesbian Rights has asserted bold and strategic national leadership at critical moments in the struggle to win marriage and family rights, expand immigration and asylum efforts, support youth safety, create and promote a positive sports culture, as well as work on elder law and transgender law.

Sound interesting to you? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

The NYCLU is looking for a Legislative Counsel who, under the supervision of the Legislative Director, will play a key role in the organization’s efforts to promote and defend civil rights and civil liberties in the legislative and public policy arenas.

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation’s leading advocates on behalf of constitutional rights and liberties. Founded in 1951, as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the NYCLU is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with 48,000 members statewide.

Interested? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

The Afghanistan Legal Education Project is looking for a fellow to serve in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

The Afghanistan Legal Education Project (ALEP) at Stanford Law School is dedicated to developing innovative legal curricula to help Afghanistan’s universities train the next generation of lawyers and leaders. The primary task of the ALEP post-doctoral fellow will be to act as ALEP’s representative within Afghanistan. The fellow will establish and maintain relationships with legal and justice sector policymakers, practitioners, and academics in Afghanistan, collect relevant source materials (new laws, proposed legislation, reports, studies, etc.), and stay abreast of all significant rule of law developments.

Sound interesting to you? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

The Miami and Krome Immigration Court is looking for a law student to fill their internship position for the summer of 2012. This position offers an excellent opportunity to develop research, writing, and analytical skills. Students will work under the direct supervision of Judicial Law Clerks and perform research and writing assignments for Immigration Judges. 

The Miami and Krome Immigration Courts are part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review in the US Department of Justice.

Sound interesting to you? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!