Staff Attorney Position with The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights

YOUNG CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN’S RIGHTS/TIDES CENTER
STAFF ATTORNEY POSITION

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights of the Tides Center is an
equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity.
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights invites applications for the position of Staff Attorney. The Young Center is dedicated to promoting the best interests—safety and well-being—of unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in the United States. The immediate focus of the Young Center’s work is to serve as Child Advocate (guardian ad litem for children in immigration proceedings) for unaccompanied and separated children pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The Young Center also conducts policy advocacy at the local and national level to promote consideration of best interests in all decisions concerning immigrant children. The Young Center is a project of the Tides Center and is an independent non-profit organization based at the University of Chicago Law School.
The Staff Attorney’s primary responsibility will be to supervise law student and community volunteers serving as Child Advocates in Chicago, Ilinois, Harlingen, Texas and other sites around the country. As part of this responsibility, the Staff Attorney will be expected to travel at least one week every two months to Harlingen, Texas and other locations; conduct trainings in Harlingen and Chicago; accompany children to immigration court, as well as state juvenile and family court; and draft best interests briefs. Additionally, the Staff Attorney will co-teach the seminar that accompanies the Young Center clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, and supervise law students in their work. Applicants must be interested in non-litigation advocacy. The Young Center is a small, non-profit; all staff are expected to participate in fundraising, grant-writing and related activities.

This is a one-year position. While this is a Staff Attorney position, the person hired cannot provide any direct legal representation. Rather, the Staff Attorney will serve as, and supervise, Child Advocates. This position has the following minimum requirements:
(1) J.D. and appropriate authorization to practice law. (2) At least two years’ experience practicing immigration law, including preparing for and representing immigrants before immigration authorities, or the substantial equivalent. (3) Experience in working with immigrant and refugee children, or experience working with survivors of abuse, human trafficking, or other trauma. (4) A strong academic background, excellent writing and oral advocacy skills, and a commitment to public interest work. (5) Proficiency in Spanish. (6) Willingness to travel and spend up to a week every two months in Harlingen, Texas and other locations. (8) Ability to take initiative and also work collaboratively. (9) Enthusiasm for working with volunteers and teaching law students. (10) Passion, tenacity and optimism for the issues affecting immigrant children and their families.

To Apply:
Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience. Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please email or fax a cover letter, resume and at least three references to:
Alexandra Laguna, Administrative Assistant: alaguna@law.uchicago.edu or 773-702-2063 (fax)

Human Rights Opportunity this Summer/ Spring Break

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid is looking for students trained in representing refugees to dedicate their summers or spring breaks to working in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa where Rwandan refugees are in critical need to legal aid. The work done will be part of the campaign to stop the invocation of the Cessation Clause for Rwandans. While the campaign has been partially successful there is still need for legal representation.

For a proposal from the Refugee Law Project that will help frame the project, please e-mail CLSR Fellow Sarah Herbert at sarah.m.herbert@nesl.edu.

Those students interested and financially able to volunteer this summer in Uganda can e-mail Namusobya Salima at snamusobya@gmail.com. Those who wish to go elsewhere to assist Rwandans may e-mail Dr. Barbara E. Harrell-Bond, the director of the Fahamu Refugee Programme at barbara.harrellbond@gmail.com.

Opportunity with the Education Law Project

CLSR’s Education Law Project is looking for a student to work on creating a policy brief that will be used to inform decision makers, the general public and press about current proposed legislation. This will be a work study and/or paid position. Interested students should send a resume, transcript and writing sample to Professor Teixeira de Sousa as soon as possible but no later than March 2, 2012. Materials can be sent via email (to MTeixeiradeSousa@nesl.edu) or dropped off on the fourth floor of Stuart Street. Students with very strong writing and research skills and who work well with deadlines are encouraged to apply. In addition, students with a marketing background or who have worked on political campaigns are strongly encouraged to apply.

Legal Internship in Environmental Law

Conservation Legal Research and Practice Internship / Volunteer
Website: http://www.lcatrust.org/
To Apply: Visit the CSO Symplicity site, Job ID 7192.

The Land Conservation and Advocacy Trust is a young non-profit seeking individuals to fulfill an important and meaningful role as we increase the public awareness of legal services program. In this position the individual will gain an understanding of the practical legal issues facing environmental- and conservation-based non-profit organizations and have a direct impact on the research and provision of legal services in diverse legal subject areas including environmental law, conservation law, real estate law, non-profit and tax exempt organization law. Depending on the time the individual can devote, and his or her skills, the individual could also provide or assist in providing direct legal services to our beneficiary organizations, assist in preparing and presenting seminars and webinars and provide research in appellate matters. Responsibilities could include: - Researching common legal issues for land trusts and other conservation-based organizations - Drafting legal memoranda and white paper analyses of legal issues - Responding to legal research based inquiries - Drafting responses to forum questions on legal issues - Drafting blog posts on legal issues - Assisting in the representation of organizations on a broad range of legal issues - Screening requests for legal services The primary responsibility will be for the research of legal issues faced by land trusts and conservation-based organizations and the preparation of legal memoranda, blog posts and short responses for forum answers with regard to those legal issues. Requirements: - A three-month commitment, at least 10 hours per week (but no maximum) - Goal driven law students or law school graduates preferably with an interest in related legal issues - Strong time-management, organizational, and legal research skills a must - Ability to effectively present complicated legal concepts to persons untrained in the law - Ability to self-motivate, stay on task and work independently Compensation: Unpaid. If applicable, experience may be used for credit. Additional: This internship is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into important and practical legal issues facing conservation organizations specifically and the not-for-profit sector more generally.

This is also a great opportunity to gain legal experience before graduation or to keep your resume current after graduation while searching for a paid legal position.

Massachusetts Bar Foundation Summer Fellowship

2012 LEGAL INTERN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Stipends of $6,000 for Summer Internships

The Massachusetts Bar Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of applications for its 2012 Legal Intern Fellowship Program. Founded in 1996, the Legal Intern Fellowship Program seeks to encourage careers in public interest law, while contributing valuable legal support to organizations serving the under-represented in Massachusetts.

Law students selected to be Legal Intern Fellows will receive a stipend of $6,000 to volunteer for ten (10) weeks during the summer months at a nonprofit organization that provides civil legal services to low-income clients in Massachusetts. Fellowship recipients may combine this award with funding from other sources to finance the internship. All current law students are eligible to apply. The internship must be conducted at a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts that has been in operation for at least one year and has programs dedicated to providing civil legal services to the indigent in Massachusetts. In addition, the organization must have a staff attorney who will supervise and mentor the intern. Applications for the Legal Intern Fellowship Program are due at the MBF’s offices by 5pm on March 16, 2012.

Detailed information about the program, including application forms, is available online at www.MassBarFoundation.org. If you have any questions regarding the Legal Intern Fellowship Program, please contact the MBF Development Office at 617-338-0647 or foundation@massbar.org.

Career Panel co-sponsored by the BBA

Government Attorney Career Panel
Co-Sponsored by the Boston Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee of the Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Section
Wednesday, February 22nd
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Moot Court Room
Speakers:
Jessica Burgess, Assistant General Counsel, MA Department of Agricultural Resources
Jay D'Avolio, Investigator, U.S. Department of Labor
Julia E. Fahey, Sr. Staff Representative - Labor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Joint Labor Management Committee
Gail E. Quinn, Deputy General Counsel, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Disabled Persons Protection Commission
*Refreshments will be served.*

Please RSVP on Symplicity

Or with the CSO: cso@nesl.edu

Center for Law and Social Responsibility Open House

The Center for Law and Social Responsibility (CLSR)

New England Law | Boston

OPEN HOUSE

When:

Wednesday, February 29^th 2012 from 4-6pm. There will be short introductions for each project and then time afterwards to speak individually with those involved at the Center.

Where:

The Cherry Room

What:

Come meet the CLSR’s faculty and learn about the different public interest projects and how you can get involved! Food will be provided.

To RSVP please e-mail CLSR Fellow Sarah Herbert at sarah.m.herbert@nesl.edu

“The CLSR sponsors pro bono and public service activities through which faculty, students and alumni support socially responsible goals. The diverse nature of the CLSR's projects reflects the varied interests of its members, as well as the breadth of issues facing public service lawyers today. In keeping with this mission, the CLSR supports classroom projects, scholarship, pro bono projects and other activities that address social problems.”