January 14, 2010
Department of Education Resource on Income-Based Repayment
Are you looking for more information about Income-Based student loan repayment? The Department of Education has published a comprehensive list of Questions and Answers regarding the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan. This is a great place to find answer to questions about General Information, Eligible Loans, Determination of IBR Monthly Payment Amount, Application Process, and more!
To see the information click here.
Posted by kcc17 at 06:57 PM
December 10, 2009
Outside Summer Funding Opportunity
If you are looking for summer employment in the public interest, be sure to look into the funding possibilities available through the ABA's John J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship. Following is the information about the Fellowship, as published on the ABA's website.
The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is seeking motivated law student interns to apply for stipends available for the Summer 2010 Program. These students should have a position offered, contingent on funding, from a qualified organization.
Internship:
The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is managed jointly by the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty and the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants. 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 Legal Internship Program will provide much-needed legal assistance to organizations serving the under-represented and give students direct experience in a public interest forum. Through this, it aims both to help homeless clients and to encourage careers in the law that further the goals of social justice.
Background:
The John J. Curtin, Jr. Justice Fund, a permanent endowment in the American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education, was created to honor Jack Curtin, ABA President from 1990-91. In acknowledgment of his outstanding achievements, as well as the affection ABA members and staff have for Jack, his colleagues in the Association collected over $100,000 within a year of his leaving office to establish the fund. Jack's long-standing dedication to issues of social justice and civil rights led to approval by the ABA Board of Governors to use the income from the Justice Fund to provide stipends to law students working to help homeless and indigent people.
Intern Requirements:
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 intern must commit no less than eight continuous weeks between May 1 and October 1 to the program of his or her choice. Applicants must submit the attached application to the Curtin Internship Program, American Bar Association Commission on Homelessness and Poverty, 740 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.
All applications must be received by Friday, March 26, 2010.
We welcome early submissions.
Program Requirements:
Qualified organizations include bar association programs, legal services programs and nonprofit organizations which have programs dedicated to meeting the legal needs and concerns of homeless and indigent people and their advocates. To be considered, programs must have been operational for at least one year and must have an attorney on staff or easily available to supervise the intern.
A lawyer in the program (either a volunteer or paid attorney) must supervise the intern, and the program must assure the ABA that it will give the intern substantive law experiences with clients and with preparing legal documents and so forth.
Application Process:
Each applicant shall submit a cover letter, resume, application form and a prospective program's supporting statement. Please be specific about the issues on which you plan to focus and what you hope to accomplish. Click here for application package.
Evaluation Process:
Both the intern and the program will be expected to submit to the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty and the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants reports on the summer internship experience. These evaluations are due within four weeks of the conclusion of the internship or by October 1, 2010, at the latest. The intern should assess the quality of the supervision received, describe whether the written work assigned was challenging, discuss the opportunities to work with clients, and include a summary of what the student learned from the experience. The program supervisor should describe the student’s contributions to the program and provide feedback as to what skills and abilities the Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program should look for in future interns.
Posted by hdd5 at 03:46 PM
September 21, 2009
Guest Blogger - A Day in the Life of Legal Aid Lawyer
Periodically throughout the year the CSO posts blog entries from guest bloggers about various topics. Please note that the views expressed by our guest bloggers are the personal opinion of each blogger and are not necessarily the views and opinions of the CSO. The CSO guest blogger entires are intended as an opportunity for attorneys currently practicing in the legal field to share their insight and advice with law students.
To kick off Public Service Theme Week, our guest blogger for the month of September is Dawn Spriggs, Esq. (class of 2003). Ms. Spriggs is a staff attorney with Community Legal Aid Services in Canton, Ohio. In her blog, Ms. Spriggs offers a glance at what it's like to practice in a day in the life of a legal aid lawyer.
"A day in the life of a legal aid lawyer might start off with a client in eviction court. Your client is disabled, mentally ill, and has virtually no support network. She lives in public housing with her two small children. If she is evicted, she will have no where to live, and may lose her children. She's being evicted because her boyfriend, the father of her children, was arrested for trafficking in marijuana and used her address when he was arrested. He doesn't officially live with her in her public housing apartment. He has an extensive criminal record and was denied admission to public housing. He is homeless and uses your client’s address. Your client knows he uses her address sometimes, but doesn’t think it is a big deal. It does violate her lease. Now she's about to lose her housing and her children over it.
You are her last line of defense between just getting by, and losing everything. When you win cases like that, an immense feeling of relief washes over you. But you have to have a difficult conversation with your client afterward, about following every single rule, no matter how silly or small they might seem to her.
When you lose cases like that, you're scrambling to decide if there is merit to file objections, or what you can do, in working with your client's case manager or social worker, to figure out where she's going to move to. Where can your client move to quickly and not lose her children? There isn't an easy solution.
Working at legal aid, you learn to think outside the box. You learn that what your client needs isn't just your legal assistance; it's your overall help.
Your day may also include petitioning to get your client, a victim of domestic violence, a civil protection order. You might go with her to the ex parte hearing where her abuser isn't present, and then later go with her to the full hearing where her abuser is present and is representing himself. In appearing pro se, her abuser is allowed to cross-examine his victim. You not only have to prepare her to answer questions, but to face her abuser and stand up to him for the first time in her life.
Working at legal aid, you have the opportunity to work with great legal minds who have had the opportunity to specialize in areas that private attorneys don't generally specialize in (eviction defense, foreclosure defense, CPO petitions, etc.). There is a great sense of camaraderie at legal aid and newer attorneys have the opportunity to be mentored by experienced attorneys. There are people in my organization who have been working in legal aid for 10, 15, 20, and even 30 years.
It's a different mind-set you'll find at legal aid. We do not have to worry about billable hours; we get to just concentrate on doing the best for our clients. The obvious downside to working at legal aid is the pay. However, there are sources for law school loan repayment assistance, and federal loans are forgiven after working in public service for ten years.
You will never be bored at legal aid. I can guarantee it. Another reason I love my job can be relayed through a confrontation I once had with an angry landlord. He asked me how I could possibly sleep at night. I informed him that I slept excellently, for I work at legal aid. I hope some of you will consider doing so also."
Posted by cld30 at 01:40 PM
September 02, 2009
2009 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair
The 2009 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair will take place October 24-25, 2009 in Washington, DC. The Conference and Career Fair offers students an opportunity to meet with employers for volunteer opportunities, summer positions and postgraduate opportunities in the public interest sector.
Student registration is now open. Read below for registration instructions and important dates. If you have any questions about the Conference and Career Fair, please feel free to contact your career counselor or the CSO.
Students interested in attending the 2009 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair may sign up for a Symplicity account and submit their cover letter and resume beginning Monday, August 31.
Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the registration instructions and tips.
Signing up for a Symplicity account is free. Most student registrations to attend the Conference and Career Fair will be free.
To sign up:
1. Create a Symplicity account at https://ejw-csm.symplicity.com/students/. If your school uses Symplicity, you will still need to create a new account.
2. Confirm your email address by clicking on the link that is emailed to you.
3. Update your profile information under "Profile"
4. Upload a cover letter, résumé and transcript, if applicable. Please note that you may not upload writing samples into the system. Bring these to the interview with you.
5. Register to attend the Career Fair under "Events." You must register in order to be admitted into the Conference and Career Fair. A Symplicity account does not constitute as registering.
6. Submit applications to employers through Symplicity.
For more information and for tips on how to have a successful Conference and Career Fair, visit our website at www.equaljusticeworks.org.
IMPORTANT DATES
Aug. 26 - Employer registration closes
Aug. 31 - Student sign-ups begin
Sept. 11 - Student sign-ups end
Sept. 30 - Student Accept/Decline begins
Oct. 7 - Student Accept/Decline ends
Oct. 24 & 25 - The Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair
Oct. 24 - Law School Awards Luncheon
Posted by kcc17 at 06:55 PM
April 28, 2009
Ohio State Bar Association Public Service Fellows Program
The Ohio State Bar Association recently announced a newly established Public Service Fellows Program to assist 2009 law school graduates and recently admitted lawyers as they attempt to enter the profession in these challenging times. This program will give students interested in acquiring experience while they continue to pursue a permanent position a chance to do meaningful work while providing legal assistance to the underserved.
Students graduating from law school in May 2009 can apply to become OSBA Public Service Fellows. Applicants must work an average of between 20 and 30 hours per week as a volunteer between August 24 and December 11, 2009. Fellows may chose to be placed either with a legal service office or with the newly created Law & Leadership Institute. Fellows will work under the direct supervision of an attorney, and may be asked to interview clients, prepare legal filings, including briefs, research, etc. Any required training and orientation will be provided by the legal services programs and the Law & Leadership Institute.
To review the program description and application or for additional information click here.
The OSBA will accept applications for the first phase until Wednesday, May 20.
Posted by kcc17 at 04:55 PM
April 06, 2009
Federal Government Jobs
Did you know that in the next five years, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) projects that more than 550,000 federal employees - one-third of the entire permanent workforce - will leave the government? Furthermore, OPM projects that by 2017, 40% of all current federal employees will retire! Do you need anymore statistical information to persuade you that right now might be an ideal time to consider a career in federal government?
These and other statistics are readily available on the website www.makingthedifference.org. This is a must-see website for anyone interested in learning more about job opportunities within the federal government. For instance, did you know that there are 29,814 general attorney positions in the federal government? Or how about the fact that 84% of federal jobs are actually located outside of Washington, DC?
Applying for a federal government job can be a confusing process, thanks in part to the KSA's (knowledge, skills and abilities) that applicants must highlight. This website helps students navagate through the process, answering any questions you may have along the way. Be sure to check out the "Law Jobs in Federal Government" page here. You'll find all sorts of useful information about legal federal government jobs.
Posted by cld30 at 12:26 PM
March 17, 2009
Equal Justice Works 2009 Summer Corps Application Opens Tomorrow
In 2008, 333 Summer Corps members performed over 120,434 service hours at 234 nonprofit public interest organizations across the country. The 2008 Summer Corps members assisted 42,237 individuals and families in need of legal assistance directly and though clinics, presentations and outreach.
The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program engages law students around the country who are expanding the delivery of legal services to those who need it most. Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2009 will provide 355 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,000 education award voucher for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization. Summer Corps members provide critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities in the United States on a broad range of issue areas.
The 2009 Summer Corps application will be available on the Equal Justice Works website on Wednesday, March 18. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 1 at 5:00 pm.
Visit www.equaljusticeworks.org/programs/summercorps/general for additional information and the application.
Posted by kcc17 at 06:44 PM
February 13, 2009
You Can Have a Career in Public Service, Even with Law School Debt
Many of you came to law school with dreams of being a prosecutor or a legal aid attorney or otherwise using your law degree to work in the non-profit sector. Then the realities of law school loans and the debt you’ll be paying back hit you and many of you started feeling that a public service career was unrealistic. Don’t give up hope yet. Several new programs have been created in the past couple of years that can make your dream of a public service career financially feasible.
One plan is the Department of Education’s Income Based Repayment Plan. This program won’t be up and running until July 2009, but it will essentially cap the percentage of your discretionary income that you will be expected to pay toward your student loan debt. Not every type of federal loan is eligible for this program, so you will have to pay attention to the types of loans you have. However, the basic rule of this program is, if you owe more than your annual salary you are likely eligible to benefit. More information is available at: http://www.ibrinfo.org/what.vp.html.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is another new option. This program requires individuals to make 120 eligible monthly payments toward their qualifying student loans while working full-time at a government agency, a 501(c)(3) organization, or other qualifying profession. At the end of that 120-month period, the government will forgive the remaining loan balance. Like many government programs, there are rather complicated eligibility requirements. You can learn more at: http://www.finaid.org/loans/publicservice.phtml and at: http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/files/studentloan_checklist_6-19.pdf.
There are also a variety of other methods for receiving loan repayment assistance or forgiveness. Social-service fellowships such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps provide loan assistance in exchange for a term of public service with their organization. The website http://www.finaid.org/ provides a vast array of information about resources and programs that may assist you with your student loans.
And, of course, personal budgeting both during law school and after graduation are vitally important to being happy in a public service career. There are numerous budgeting and financial management websites, checklists, and calculators on the internet. Find a good one and start taking advantage of it now, while you’re still in school. As an example, Idealist has a good primer on “personal profit in a non-profit world”, available at: http://www.idealist.org/career/making_a_difference.pdf.
The Equal Justice Works website is a great resource for learning more information about loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs), and other loan benefit programs that those working in the public sector may be eligible for. Learn more at: http://www.equaljusticeworks.com/resources.
Information for this posting was pulled from the following article: http://www.slate.com/id/2209031/=20
Posted by kcc17 at 03:39 PM
January 28, 2009
Fourth Annual "Working in the Public Interest: Advancing Social Justice" Conference
The University of Georgia School of Law cordially invites students to attend the conference February 27-28, 2009 at the University of Georgia School of Law, which is approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta.
The conference is a two day event with panels and roundtable discussions with speakers drawn from all parts of the country. Conference coordinators can help arrange free housing for student attendees who would like to stay with other students in Athens.
This year's panel topics include:
• Plenary - Human Rights in the Southeast
• Juvenile Sentencing - Throwing Away Our Youth: Harsh Sentencing of Juvenile Offenders
• Eyewitness Testimony - The Problem of Eyewitness Testimony in Capital Cases
• Economic Disparity - Combating Economic Disparity with Civic Engagement
• Healthcare - An Examination of the Health Law Partnership: A Community-based Collaborative of Lawyers, Health Care Providers and Law Students
• LGBT Persons - The Fight for the Right to Marry
• Sex Trafficking - The Modern Form of Slavery: The Prevalence of Sex Trafficking and the Sexual Exploitation of Minors Nationally and Locally
To register for the conference and for additional information see: www.law.uga.edu
Conferences like this are not only wonderful ways to increase your knowledge but also are excellent opportunities to network with current and future professionals in the field. Take advantage of receptions and panels at events such as these to mingle and introduce yourself to others. You never know who you might meet or who might be able to steer you toward the next great employment opportunity. For tips on how to use networking to your best advantage, stop by the CSO and speak to a counselor.
Posted by kcc17 at 05:17 PM
January 22, 2009
Summer Fellowship Funding Reminder
Application forms and updated deadline information for Case Western Reserve University School of Law summer fellowship funding are now available in the CSO. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the CSO.
Klatsky Human Rights Fellowship DEADLINE
Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Bruce J. Klatsky, Chairman of the Phillips Van Heusen Corporation, the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center offers two Case law students summer internships at Human Rights Watch in New York City or Washington, DC. Interns are awarded $4,000 for completion of the 8 to 10 week internship.
Application materials: resume; one-page statement of interest; signed application form with expressed geographical preference (application form available in CSO Hot Files).
Application deadline: Friday, February 6, 2009 at 1:00pm.
Posted by kcc17 at 06:30 PM
December 03, 2008
Midwest Public Interest Law Career Conference
Case Western Reserve University School of Law students are invited to participate in the Twenty-First Annual Midwest Public Interest Law Career Conference, which will convene at Northwestern University School of Law on Saturday, February 7, 2009. The Conference is open to first, second and third year J.D. students enrolled at Midwestern law schools. Public interest and government employers from throughout the country will be invited to interview and/or participate in the informational “Table Talk” session.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND MPILCC, YOU MUST REGISTER WITH THE CSO NO LATER THAN Tuesday, December 9. To register, please stop by the CSO or email Ray Noscal at Ray.Noscal@case.edu.
Students will use Symplicity to upload their resumes and make their interview selections. Once you register with the CSO, you will be issued logins and passwords on December 15, 2008. You will be able to upload your resume and make employer bids on that day, as well. Resume uploads and bidding will close on January 9, 2009.
For more information about the conference see http://mpilcc.uchicago.edu/students.html
Posted by kcc17 at 09:28 AM
September 03, 2008
2008 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair
The 2008 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair will take place October 10-11, 2008 at The Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. The Conference and Career Fair offers students an opportunity to meet with employers for volunteer opportunities, summer positions and postgraduate opportunities in the public interest sector.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the 2008 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair is underway! Students may register online at http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/events/ccf/student Registration will close on September 26 at 5pm PDT.
SUBMITTING RESUMES TO EMPLOYERS
Students may submit their resumes for interviews at the Equal Justice Works 2008 Career Fair by visiting http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/events/ccf/student and following the instructions listed on the page. Employers are added daily, so check back often. Be sure to read the criteria carefully! Some employers provide very specific instructions on how to apply for their available positions. Send in your application materials as soon as possible and no later than September 12, 2008. This ensures employers have time to review your application and notify you of an interview opportunity prior to the Career Fair.
HOTEL INFORMATION
The Omni Shoreham Hotel has blocked off rooms for all Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair attendees at the special rate of $224 per night (excluding taxes) per room. Reserve your room online or call the Omni Shoreham at (202)234-0700. Make sure you mention you are attending the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair for the special rate.
AIRPORTS
Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) – 34 miles
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) – 6.5 miles
Dulles International Airport (IAD) – 27 miles
If you have any questions about the Conference and Career Fair, please contact the CSO.
Posted by kcc17 at 05:39 PM
July 23, 2008
Case Western Law Students Selected as Equal Justice Works 2008 Summer Corps Members
Five Case Western Reserve University Law School students have spent thes summer serving with nonprofit public interest law organizations as a part of the Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program. Elisabeth Christensen, Benjamin Faller, Melissa Kline, Daniel Leathers and Kari White will each earn a $1,000 education award voucher through this national AmeriCorps-funded program.
This year’s Summer Corps members represent 125 Equal Justice Works law schools. These 350 first- and second-year law students will each receive a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award voucher upon completion of a minimum of 300 hours of summer service at a nonprofit public interest organization. Summer Corps members will provide critically needed legal assistance to low-income and underserved communities in 38 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, Summer Corps members gain first-hand experience and legal skills in areas such as client intake, individual representation, research and writing.
Summer Corps members are engaged with a broad range of issues, including civil rights, community economic development, death penalty, disability rights, housing, domestic violence, education, public benefits and workers’ rights. For more information about the Summer Corps program, visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/programs.
Posted by kcc17 at 06:03 PM
March 10, 2008
Summer Funding for Public Service
Attention First and Second Year Students:
Adelstein Environmental Law Fellowship
The Stanley I. and Hope S. Adelstein Environmental Law Student Summer Grant is awarded to a Case law student who secures an environmental law-related internship or employment in the public interest field (including government employment). The position must be unpaid. The 2007 summer recipient was a legal intern for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The amount of the grant is $5,000 for an 8 to 10 week internship.
Application materials: application (application form available in CSO Hot Files); statement outlining work that will be done during the summer; statement of what the applicant hopes to accomplish during his/her employment
Application deadline: Rolling deadline; apply ASAP, and not later than Monday, March 17, 2008 at 1:00pm
Biskind Public Interest Fellowships
Each year, up to five Case law students will be eligible for Saul S. Biskind Public Interest Summer Fellowships. To qualify, students must do unpaid public interest legal work for 10 weeks during the summer at a nonprofit organization (excluding government agencies). The 2007 summer recipients were employed with the following organizations: Towards Employment in Cleveland, OH; Legal Aid Society of Cleveland in Cleveland, OH; Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, DC; Clean Air Conservancy in Cleveland, OH; and American Civil Liberties Union in New York, NY. The summer stipend is $3,500.
Application materials: resume; statement of interest; letter of commitment from employer
Application deadline: Monday, March 17, 2008 at 1:00pm
Social Justice Fellowships
Up to 3 Case law students will be eligible for a Social Justice Fellowship. To qualify, students must do unpaid public service legal work for 10 weeks during the summer at a nonprofit organization OR government agency. The summer fellowship is $3,500.
Application materials: resume; statement of interest; letter of commitment from employer
Application deadline: Monday, March 17, 2008 at 1:00pm
Posted by cld30 at 11:30 AM
March 02, 2008
New Public Service Fellowship Available!
If you missed the presentation by Professor Casey on Friday afternoon, then you missed the announcement of a new fellowship opportunity for students taking unpaid summer employment in the public sector. Up to three Case law students will be eligible for this new Social Justice Fellowship. To qualify, students must do unpaid public service legal work for 10 weeks during the summer at a nonprofit organization OR government agency. The summer fellowship is $3,500.
To apply for the fellowship, submit a resume, statement of interest, and letter of commitment from the employer by Monday, March 17, 2008 at 1:00pm. All application materials should be turned in to the CSO.
Posted by kcc17 at 05:41 PM
January 08, 2008
Public Interest Funding
Are you thinking about public interest work this summer? Be sure to check out the various summer funding options for students pursuing public interest work. Here are a few resources to get you started:
1) The PSLawNet Summer Funding Resource Page
This page has been updated for 2008! The list is organized by national funding sources and regional funding sources. New summer funding resources are added as they become available. The page is available at www.pslawnet.org/content/index.php?pid=50.
2) The Biskind Fellowship
Each year, up to five Case law students will be eligible for the Biskind Public Interest Summer Fellowships. To qualify, students must do unpaid public interest legal work for 10 weeks during the summer at a nonprofit organization (excluding government agencies). The application deadline is Monday, March 17, 2008 at 1:00pm. Applications are available in the CSO.
3) Public Interest Summer Grants & Fellowships Packet
This packet is available in the CSO and contains detailed information regarding summer grants and stipends. A must read for anyone pursuing public interest work this summer!
4) SPLIF
SPILF raises money to support summer fellowships. The number and amount of fellowships vary each year and the application process and deadline for these fellowships is determined by SPILF. Contact a SPLIF officer for additional information on how to get involved in SPLIF.
Please stop by the CSO pick up application materials and funding packets and to talk with a counselor about positions available in public interest and the various funding resources mentioned above.
Posted by kcc17 at 09:22 AM
October 24, 2007
NALP Travel Reimbursement - Public Interest Option
We know that most of you have at least some and in many cases alot of debt. But just in case you are in a position to support a public interest program, we wanted to be sure that you were aware of an opportunity to "give back." If you are interviewing with NALP employers, you know that NALP employers will reimburse reasonable travel-related expenses which you incur during your interviewing trip(s). The NALP Travel Expense Reimbursement Form, available at
http://www.nalp.org/content/index.php?pid=68, allows you to ask the employer to donate hotel or other expenses to a public interest program -- all you have to do is attach a program description and payment procedures to your NALP form.
Again, we know that most if not all of you need to be reimbursed for these expenses, but this may be an option for some of you.
Posted by smp20 at 10:04 AM
October 03, 2007
College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007
Last week President Bush signed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The Act cuts lender subsidies and redirects the savings toward programs intended to improve college access and affordability for low-income students. Importantly, it protects borrowers from excessive repayment burdens and provides loan forgivenness for public service employees, including lawyers.
The legislation contains a new Income Based Repayment program intended to protect students from excessive student loan debt burden after graduation. It caps monthly loan payments at 15% of discretionary income for all federal loans made to students (including graduate/law students). Also, borrowers who spend at least 10 years working in public service professions and make income-based payments thorugh the Direct Loan program would be eligible to have their remaining loan balances forgiven after 10 years. Professions with the government and 501(c)(3) organizations are included.
Posted by smp20 at 08:57 AM
October 02, 2007
Tips for Choosing a Career in Public Interest
Periodically throughout the year the CSO will be posting blog entries from guest bloggers about various topics. Please note that the views expressed by our guest bloggers are the personal opinion of each blogger and are not necessarily the views and opinions of the CSO. The CSO guest blogger entries are intended as an opportunity for attorneys currently practicing in the legal field to share their insight and advice with law students.
To continue with our Public Interest Theme Week, our second guest blogger of the year, Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes (class of 2002), a public defender in LA, shares her advice on choosing a career in public interest.
Tips for Choosing a Career in Public Interest
By Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes (Class of 2002)
First and foremost, are you dedicated to this line of work? If you immediately say yes, then you are going in the right direction. If you are hesitant in your answer, then you may have some trouble in the public interest field. I am not suggesting you should not TRY it, of course, experience comes from trying new things. But, if you are not dedicated to the idea of helping others and not being thanked (at all) it is tough.
To those who answer yes right away, don’t be afraid to try a public interest career that may not be exactly what you are looking for. Let’s say you really want to do civil rights work, but a job opens up in the area of homelessness or environmental law. What you will probably find is that the job is fulfilling, and you learn a lot. Additionally, it will give you the opportunity to meet like-minded attorneys, and possibly open up doors in the field you are interested in.
Finally, when you go into this line of work, you need to expect a few things:
1. YOU WILL NOT BE RICH, know it, accept it, and move on. There is something easier to deal with when you accept it ahead of time. Further, when everyone you work with is in the same boat, it becomes like a family...a poor family, but a family. You learn how to deal with the student loans, clothes shopping for sales, and driving a beat up car. After a while, you love it. I mean, after all, I am a public defender - what would I look like driving a new Mercedes? FYI - there has been a lot of legislation about loan forgiveness for public interest lawyers. See College Cost Reduction Act, passed early in September by Congress.
2. YOU WILL NOT BE THANKED, even when you do a good job. This mostly applied to people who go into the area of representing underprivileged people. You may work for days, weeks or months on something, or someone’s case. You may put in an exceptional amount of time, and do your very best. At the end of all that, you may just have a client who walks away without acknowledging anything you did, or worse, tells you off. Further, your supervisor or colleagues may never acknowledge what you do or did. You need to find within yourself why you are doing the job you are doing. You need to be happy with yourself and your work, all by yourself. You will very often not get any praise from anyone on the outside. Learn how to praise yourself on the inside. Everyone once and a while you will be graced with a “thank you” and it will warm your heart and make it all worth it.
3. THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN YOU HATE YOUR JOB. This is related to #1 and #2 above. We are all human. After months or years of doing a public interest job, being underpaid and feeling underappreciated, you will have days when you will hate your job. Learn to accept those days and look forward to the next day. Make a mental list, or a actual list, about what you love about your job. It is easy to lose sight of the positive side of a public interest job. But, if you really loose sight of how good your job is you may make the mistake I did. I had a time when I felt this way and I left my job with the public defenders office to join a small, private criminal defense firm. I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with criminal defense firms. Yet, if your heart is in public interest, and you leave for more money, you will probably end up feeling unsatisfied with your work. It took me less than five months to realize the private sector wasn’t for me. All I can say is that I felt like “it” wasn’t who I was. I said to myself, I wasn’t just working as a public defender, I AM a public defender, it is the very essence of who I am. Luckily the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office accepted me back. Now, I am so grateful, happy, and fulfilled.
4. THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR JOB. This one is the most important. Hopefully, these day will outweigh the bad days. Probably the most important thing about working in the public interest field is that you will get to see how your work impacts the lives of other people, or society as a whole. You can walk home at the end of the day proud of the work you do. For me, I know that if I assist one drug addict in finding a drug program that helps them get sober; or help one juvenile get out of juvenile detention and back in school; or I free one innocent person from jail....I am satisfied with the work I do. This is the best feeling in the world. This is why I went to law school.
Posted by kcc17 at 03:52 PM
October 01, 2007
Public Interest Guest Blogger
Periodically throughout the year the CSO will be posting blog entries from guest bloggers about various topics. Please note that the views expressed by our guest bloggers are the personal opinion of each blogger and are not necessarily the views and opinions of the CSO. The CSO guest blogger entries are intended as an opportunity for attorneys currently practicing in the legal field to share their insight and advice with law students.
To kick off Public Interest Theme Week, our first guest blogger of the year, Jason A. Martin, Esq. (class of 2003), discusses the dilemma of public service and being able to serve the public.
Can I Afford to Serve the Public?
By Jason A. Martin, Esquire (2003)
The best public servants are those who come from the communities in which they serve and have a personal stake in the facilitation of justice, however, those potential public servants can’t afford to serve. It is difficult to give this subject the proper foundation without explaining how this dilemma came about.
Ironically, the best illustration of the dilemma comes from the medical field. In the early twentieth century the American Medical Association (AMA) felt that there were too many doctors. So they decided to make medical education so elitist and expensive, and so drawn out, that most students would be prohibited from even considering a medical career. The AMA set up requirements for four years of undergraduate education plus four years of medical school. The schools are required to have expensive laboratories and equipment, thus, by the end of World War I, the number of medical schools had been reduced from 650 to a mere 50 in number. The number of annual graduates had been reduced from 7,500 to 2,500.
The practice of law has traveled the same path as medicine. The practice of law has become an elite profession. The cost to become a lawyer has gone up astronomically over the years. Let’s add it up. To go to a decent law school, yearly tuition is about $20-30,000, not including living expenses, which could run up to $18,000 per year. The cost of books could be an additional $1,500 to $2,000 per year. At the end of the three years of law school, you must take the bar examination to become a licensed attorney. To take a bar examination preparation course will cost between $2,000 and $3,000. To take the actual exam is another $300 to $500. If you are fortunate enough to pass the exam, your money woes continue. There are bar membership fees that could run up to $350 per year and also continuing legal education to maintain your license, which can cost hundreds of dollars per year. The average cost of legal education and bar admission alone could cost someone upwards of $153,000.
Needless to say, new attorneys need to make a decent salary to offset the costs of becoming licensed. Unfortunately, the field of public interest law does not pay well at all. This has caused public interest law to become an elite field of practice. Many public servants, particularly prosecutors come from middle class to wealthy backgrounds. Many of my colleagues in the Queens County District Attorney’s Office lived in Manhattan, exclusive neighborhoods in Queens, Long Island, etc. All places where the cost of living is very high. Almost none of them lived or came from the communities that are most effected by the criminal justice system. This causes a disconnect between the public servant and the very public he/she is trying to serve.
In my experience, many defendants feel as though their attorneys, including legal aid, do not care about them, respect them, and identify with them. This often causes very tumultuous relationships between attorney and client. This occurs because many of the attorneys, in particular, public defenders, do not come from the communities that they are trying to serve. On the prosecution end, many prosecutors come from middle class to wealthy backgrounds, which greatly affect the way they perceive the people they are prosecuting. Many prosecutors operate from stereotypes, generalizations, prejudices and fear of the people they prosecute, especially “minorities”. This problem occurs because many of the people in the criminal justice system are “minorities” from poor neighborhoods, while most of the public servants are whites from middle class to wealthy neighborhoods. This is caused by the cost prohibitiveness of legal education and practice. This is a topic that is almost never talked about by those who could change this reality not only in the practice of law, but in every field of public service.
Posted by cld30 at 04:16 PM
May 07, 2007
Case Western Reserve University Law School students selected for 2007 Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Program
Two Case Western Reserve University Law School students will spend this summer serving with nonprofit public interest law organizations as a part of the Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program. Jennifer Becker and Marc Epstein will each earn a $1,000 education award voucher through this national AmeriCorps-funded program. These students were among 592 applicants for 350 participant slots nationwide.
The 2007 Summer Corps members are first- and second-year law students from 117 law schools. They will each serve at least 300 hours in public interest projects, providing critically needed legal assistance to low-income and underserved communities in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Summer Corps members will also gain first-hand experience and legal skills in areas such as client intake, individual representation, research and writing.
Summer Corps members work on a broad range of issues, including civil rights, community economic development, death penalty, disability rights, housing, domestic violence, education, public benefits and workers’ rights. In addition, 42 members are part of the Equal Justice Works Katrina Summer Corps, providing disaster-related legal services to populations affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Jennifer Becker will serve with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland in Cleveland; Marc Epstein with HIV/AIDS and LGBT Project of the National ACLU in New York.
Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1986 by law students dedicated to working for equal justice on behalf of underserved communities and causes. Today, Equal Justice Works is the national leader in creating summer and postgraduate public interest opportunities for law students and lawyers as well as in urging more public interest programming at law schools. For more information about Equal Justice Works, visit www.equaljusticeworks.org.
Posted by smp20 at 04:17 PM
March 19, 2007
Law-Medicine and Cox Stipends
Law-Medicine Center Stipends
The Law-Medicine Center will offer up to $8,000 in 2007 to students who secure health law-related summer positions with public interest or government organizations that will not pay a significant salary or stipend. No student will receive more than $2,000. In addition, one more $2,000 stipend will be awarded to a Health Matrix journal editor who secures a health law-related summer position with a public interest or government organization that will not pay a significant salary or stipend. The 2006 summer recipients were employed with the following organizations: Vermont Medical Society in Montpelier, VT; Patients Not Patents in Washington, DC; and UNAIDS/WHO/AMI in Rangoon, Burma.
Application materials: resume; one-page description of the position and what you expect to accomplish; Summer Internship Budget Worksheet (available in the CSO Resource Room)
Application deadline: Friday, March 23, 2007 at 1:00pm in the CSO
Cox International Law Center Stipends
The Frederick K. Cox International Law Center offers stipends of up to $1,000 to $3,000 to Case students who secure international law-related summer internships. During the summer of 2006, students who received this stipend worked for: International Trade Centre in Geneva, Switzerland; Amnesty International in Washington, DC; U.S.-Canada Law Institute in Ottawa, Canada; Abrahams & Gross in Capetown, South Africa; Clyde & Co. in Shanghai, China; O’Connor & Company in Brussels, Belgium; Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown, Sierra Leone; Defense Counsel for the ICTY in the Hague, Netherlands; U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; International Bar Association in London, England; and many more. (In 2006, the majority of awards were in the $1,000-2,000 range.)
Application materials: application (application form available in CSO Hot Files);resume; one-page statement of interest; Summer Internship
Budget Worksheet (available in CSO Resource Room) and the amount (between $1,000-3,000) requested to support summer work
Application deadline: Friday, March 23, 2007 at 1:00pm in the CSO
Posted by cld30 at 04:40 PM
March 14, 2007
2007 Summer Corps Funding
On Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at noon, the 2007 Summer Corps application will be available online at www.equaljusticeworks.org. Before applying to Equal Justice Works, students must secure their own summer placement at a qualifying nonprofit public interest organization. Information about the program can be found at www.equaljusticeworks.org/summercorpsindex.php. If you have questions about the program, please contact Sarah Jayne Dipert, AmeriCorps Program Coordinator, at 202-466-3686 ext. 125 or summercorps@equaljusticeworks.org.
Posted by smp20 at 01:11 PM
March 13, 2007
Student Public Interest Fellowship (SPILF) Application Information
On Behalf of SPLIF:
Application Deadline: April 2, 2007.
A committee of SPILF officers and members will conduct interviews with all applicants during the week of April 9, 2007. To receive a summer fellowship, a student must have given time to SPILF activities during the school year. The committee also considers applicants’ financial need and the jobs in which they will be working.
Please remember the following prerequisites to qualification to SPILF funding:
A summer opportunity in public interest law
Unpaid internship (if the internship is low-paid, please
indicate anticipated salary)
At least four (4) hours volunteering for SPILF Events please
attach hours sheet)
Please attach a statement from your summer employer confirming your summer offer and indicating the compensation you will receive, if any. If you cannot provide such a statement or have not been definitively offered a position, please indicate as much in the space asking for your summer position. Though we ask that you have a position secured before applying for funding, we understand that circumstances may prevent you from securing summer employment before applying for SPILF funding. Please indicate which opportunity you reasonably expect to secure; please forward a statement confirming your employment once it is confirmed.
Applications may be obtained from the SPILF mail folder in Blackacre. Please submit all application materials by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 2, to the SPILF mail folder.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any of the SPILF officers:
Cristin Roush, president (car34@case.edu)
Emily Weidenhamer, vice president (eew4@case.edu)
Rose Osborne, secretary (rmo5@case.edu)
Posted by kcc17 at 05:35 PM
December 20, 2006
More Public Interest Funding Opportunities
In addition to summer internship funding highlighted in the December 19, 2006 CSO blog entry, PSLawNet's "Summer Funding" section contains information on funding opportunities offered by 40 nonprofit organizations. Look for the link at www.pslawnet.org.
Also, Equal Justice Works/Americorps offers "Summer Corps" stipends to support law students working to deliver legal services. Summer Corps provides 315 law students with a $1,000 education award voucher for qualifying legal internships. For more information, go to www.equaljusticeworks.org.
Posted by smp20 at 01:35 PM
October 23, 2006
To 3Ls: Florida Public Defender Career Fair
The Law Office of Julianne M. Holt, Public Defender of Hillsborough County (Tampa), 13th Judicial Circuit, is hosting a Career Fair on Saturday, January 6, 2007. All interested applicants should visit their website at www.pd13.state.fl.us to apply on-line of fax their resume and cover letter to 813-277-0841. Candidate interviews will be scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 2007. Please submit your application by December 1, 2006. Office of the Public Defender, 13th Judicial Circuit, 700 East Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602. This event is open to third-year law students, recent law school graduates, and licensed attorneys admitted to the Florida Bar or the Bar in another state.
Posted by smp20 at 09:33 AM
September 27, 2006
If you are going to be in Florida on October 6...
Robert Wesley, Public Defender for Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit, invites second- and third-year students, certified legal interns and members of the Florida Bar to the Orange County Courthouse Complex to discover firsthand the benefits of pursuing a career in public services.
At their fall series of open-house events, visitors have the opportunity to tour Orange County, Florida's state-of-the-art courthouse facility and speak with hiring officials from the Public Defender's Office.
The first open house will be on Friday, October 6 beginning at 10:00am at the Law Offices of the Public Defender in the Orange County Courthouse Complex, 435 North Orange Avenue, Suite 400, Orlando, FL 32801. If you wish to attend this event or future open houses contact Angie Sharkey at asharkey@circuit9.org or 407-836-4751.
Posted by smp20 at 10:50 AM