Pro Bono Opportunity

TASSC – http://tassc.org/blog/, is located within walking distance of the law school at 4121 Harewood Road, NE; it is the only U.S. organization founded by survivors of torture for survivors, to oppose torture and to empower a community of survivors. Most TASSC members arrive in the U.S. seeking political asylum based on the torture and persecution they experienced in the home countries they fled. TASSC provides pro bono legal representation.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to engage in policy advocacy, but their primary focus will be on asylum representation. Students will take lead responsibility, under the supervision of TASSC pro bono attorneys, for initial screening of cases and for developing the case once members are accepted for asylum representation, from drafting documents and gathering evidence to preparing the client for interviews and hearings at Immigration Court (Arlington, Baltimore) and the DHS Asylum Office (Arlington). To the extent possible, students will be authorized to act as counsel in those venues in the presence of the attorney of record.

Requirements

Students must work at TASSC for the bulk of their hours. They will be given a desk, a computer and telephone access; as well as orientation and ongoing guidance at least once a week, including overviews of substantive legal principles and processes.

To apply, send a cover email and resume to Steve France, Esq., Asylum Coordinator (steve@tassc.org) and cc Demissie Abebe, Executive Director (demissie@tassc.org) by June 8. TASSC is likely to ask for a writing sample and will interview applicants before accepting them into the program.

Law Clerk position (unpaid) Maryland Attorney

Responsibilities will focus entirely on a single criminal case.  17 y/o indigent defendant is charged in adult court and faces life imprisonment.  Law clerk will work very closely with lead counsel on all aspects of the defense, including an effort to transfer the case to juvenile court.  Specific responsibilities will include interviewing witnesses and issuing subpoenas, organizing and preparing evidence, strategy sessions, observing courtroom proceedings, writing motions and pleadings, and other duties that may arise.

Must be a rising second or third year student with a strong interest in criminal defense and/or juvenile justice, as well as an unequivocal drive to defend the client.  Must have a car and easy access to Montgomery County, Maryland.  Spanish fluency is a plus, but not required.

This is an excellent opportunity to work on a challenging case with many interesting legal and factual issues.  This is an appointed case, and the position is unpaid.  Aside from the experience and the learning process, involvement will be strictly for the sake of defending the client.  All expenses, however, will be covered.

If interested, please email resume and brief writing sample to: jns@jsharifilaw.com

Pro Bono Opportunity – don’t miss this one

PROJECT:
The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program holds Advice & Referral Clinics on the 2nd Saturday of each month.
More information is available here: http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/pro_bono/about_the_program/serving_the_community/advice.cfm.

CUA Law is participating in partnership with Dickstein Shapiro on Saturday, November 12, from 9:30AM-1:00 PM. Students are needed to assist the volunteer attorneys as they provide brief legal advice and assistance to low-income members of the community. This is a terrific opportunity to have personal client contact and gain intake experience.

Each student will be paired with an attorney from the firm to shadow and act as “co-counsel” on intakes. I won’t know exactly how many slots are available until the firm has finalized its volunteer list next week, so if you are interested, please sign up and I’ll provide an update as to how many volunteers they can accommodate. The final participant list will be determined by the order in which students signed up.

COMMITMENT:
Students are asked to arrive at Bread for the City by 9:30 on Saturday morning for training. The clinic opens at 10am and the doors close at noon, but volunteers may wind up staying until 1pm or in a few cases even later if the intakes so require.

TRAINING:
A brief training will be provided that morning. Each student will be assigned to an attorney from Dickstein Shapiro. Mentors will be available onsite and reference manuals will be provided.

Sign up at the Pro Bono at CUA Law TWEN page – DC Bar Pro Bono Program

Pro Bono Opportunity

 Paul Kurth, Director of the CCLS Consumer Project, is conducting a series of consumer financial protection “know-your-rights” workshops in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC in November. He is looking for about 10 students for each workshop Thursday evening the 11^th and Thursday evening the 18th to help with the presentations and then to meet with participants one-on-one afterwards to provide basic information about their rights, how to protect themselves, etc. If you’d like to volunteer there is a mandatory 1-hour training session you must attend on Monday, October 25 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.  A sign-up sheet has been posted on the SPIL TWEN page (please disregard the Nov. 4 slot as there will be no workshop that day).

 This is a fantastic opportunity for you to earn SPIL hours, as well as Pro Bono Challenge hours.  While there are only 20 spots available for the November workshops, Mr. Kurth is planning more workshops in January, which may be more possible for 1Ls.

Internships – Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is looking for legal interns to assist us in providing pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied children within the immigration system.  The positions will be unpaid, but we are happy to assist you with externship credit, work study, or securing funding from external sources.  For more information about KIND, please consult the flyer and visit www.supportkind.org.

Legal interns will assist us in the following:

• Interpreting –assisting at intake interviews with clients, as well as interpreting telephone calls and translating documents.
• Interviewing – conducting follow-up interviews and phone calls with clients, adult sponsors, and other agencies.
• Information-Gathering – contacting adult sponsors, social workers, government agencies, and relatives or other agencies from the child’s home country to prepare case files.
• Coordinating Law Firms & Pro Bono Volunteer Attorneys – keeping track of case status with pro bono attorneys, referring cases to pro bono attorneys, technical assistance, and assisting with trainings.
• Conducting Rights Presentations – helping to create and conduct rights presentations to children when they first enter the immigration system, as well as legal orientation programs for adult sponsors to know their rights and responsibilities when sponsoring a detained child immigrant.
• Administrative Tasks – including data reporting and statistics on our clients and volunteers, and other tasks as needed.How to Apply

If interested, please submit the following via email to plee@supportkind.org:

1)      Application Form (attached)
2)      Résumé
3)      2 References

Please submit all applications as soon as possible.  KIND will be accepting applications on a rolling basis until August 31, 2010.  Early application preferred.   If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email plee@supportkind.org or call (202) 682-7166.

Pro bono opportunities – DC Off. of Admin. Hearings

If you have ever wondered what law clerks do, the DC Office of Administrative Hearings has three terrific pro bono opportunities that will help you find out.  You must have completed a course in civil procedure, but no other experience is necessary.  Certificates of participation will be given to students who assist on all three projects.

Columbus Community Legal Services (“CCLS”) will be assisting administrative law judges in the DC Office of Administrative Hearings (“OAH”) on three days this summer – June 17, July 8, and a date TBA – from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. We are looking for up to 20 students to participate.

Thursday June 17, 2010. Refine your knowledge of civil procedure by helping the DC Office of Administrative Hearings prepare dismissals for failure of service in Department of Public Works cases.  Students working in teams of two will review cases for evidence of service of process and then complete a template.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided and students will receive training on this process.

Wednesday July 8, 2010. On this date, students will perform case reviews to determine if a default judgment should be entered and then will calculate fines in Department of Transportation cases.  Again, breakfast, lunch and training will be provided.

Summer 2010. TBA. Students will assist in drafting court orders at the DC Office of Administrative Hearings.  You’ll attend hearings, take notes, and draft findings of fact in Department of Public Works cases.   You’ll spend 1 to 2 hours taking notes and up to 6 hours drafting and revising findings of fact.  You’re welcome to participate in one hearing or in multiple hearings, as your schedule allows.  However, you must be able to turn around your findings of fact within 24 hours.

Why You Should Help: This is a great opportunity to prepare court orders, speak with administrative law judges, and gain a better understanding of civil procedure issues in the context of local administrative proceedings. You will also be performing an invaluable pro bono service for members of our community. Please consider giving of your time!

If you interested in volunteering or have questions about the project, please contact Professor Faith Mullen at mullen@law.edu or 202-319-6613.

Pro Bono Counsel – Neighborhood Legal Services Prog.

The Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP) is currently seeking Pro Bono Counsel with a passion for justice to provide legal services to clients in its community-based law offices in Washington, DC.  NLSP is a private non-profit law firm whose mission is to provide vigorous and high quality, client-centered civil legal services to low-income residents of the District of Columbia.

The Pro Bono Counsel will work in NLSP’s Headquarters located in the Northeast quadrant of the city.  The Pro Bono Counsel is responsible for the recruitment, training, and mentoring of pro bono attorneys taking on cases in the areas of housing, health care, employment, consumer protection, education, discrimination, family court disputes, income maintenance, and the many civil consequences impacting persons with convictions and their families.

Interested persons should send a letter of interest, resume, three professional/educational references and writing sample to Radha Ramanathan, Director of Legal Programs, at:

nlsp@nlsp.org (subject line – Pro Bono Counsel)
Neighborhood Legal Services Program
680 Rhode Island Avenue NE
Washington, D. C.  20002

Positions remain open until filled.   Applications will be reviewed as they are received.  For more information, please consult the flyer.

Internship – Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is looking for spring legal interns to assist them in providing pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied children within the immigration system.  The positions will be unpaid, but they are happy to assist with externship credit, work study, or securing funding from external sources.  Interested applicants must be: highly fluent in Spanish & English, able to work at least 10-20 hours per week, interested and experienced in working with immigrants (preferably child immigrants, and able to use their own laptop during the internship.  If interested, please submit the following via email to plee@supportkind.org: Application Form (get from Melissa McViney in OCPD), Résumé and 3 References. Please submit all applications as soon as possible.  KIND will be accepting applications on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email plee@supportkind.org.

Legal interns – Kids in Need of Defense

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is looking for legal interns to assist us in providing pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied children within the immigration system.  The positions will be unpaid, but we are happy to assist you with externship credit, work study, or securing funding from external sources.  For more information about KIND, please visit www.supportkind.org.

 

Exciting Pro Bono Activity

On Saturday, November 14, 10 am to noon, CUA law students will be helping to staff the D.C. Bar’s Advice and Referral Clinic, 1525 7^th Street, NW.  You’ll be paired with an attorney from Dickstein Shapiro and will contact intake interviews on a variety of matters.   This is a great way to help local residents, learn and network.  We want you to participate!  Please e-mail Jeanine Piller, Pro Bono Coordinator, at piller@law.edu, by Friday, November 6.