2010 EPA Honors Attorney Fellowship

The Environmental Protection Agency is hiring an Attorney Fellow for its Chicago Office. To view the duties, necessary qualifications and application process please see the following announcement: http://jobview.usajobs.gov/getjob.aspx?jobid=84650305.

Teaching Fellowship at Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

University of California, Hastings College of the Law

Teaching Fellowship in the Refugee and Human Rights Law Clinic at U.C. Hastings, with Joint Placement at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS) is seeking applications for the Teaching Fellowship in Refugee and Human Rights Law, a two-year position beginning on June 1, 2010. The Fellowship is designed for lawyers with at least three years of practice experience who are interested in preparing for a career in law school clinical teaching, as well as being engaged in the cutting edge legal work of CGRS.

The 2010-2012 Fellow will co-teach the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. The Clinic exposes students to the related fields of refugee and international human rights, and to the varied strategies undertaken in these substantive areas. In the refugee area, students represent clients in individual proceedings, and may also engage in litigation or policy work. In the international human rights area, students engage in fact-finding, draft human rights reports, or participate in advocacy at regional human rights bodies, such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, or at inter-governmental bodies, such as the United Nations. The Fellow will work closely with clinic faculty, sharing responsibility for designing and teaching clinic classes, selecting and supervising law students, and other related matters.

The Fellow will have significant involvement and responsibilities with CGRS on the full range of its national policy, appellate and advocacy work on behalf of women seeking asylum from gender persecution. The Center works to advance women’s human rights by focusing on gender-based asylum law and broader migration policies, both in the U.S. and internationally. For more information on CGRS, see .

CGRS is based at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, which houses one of the largest clinical programs on the West Coast. The law school has demonstrated a strong commitment to clinical education, with 20 clinical faculty and clinical offerings including the Civil Justice Clinic (which operates in-house clinics in Individual Representation, Community Economic Development, Group Advocacy and Systemic Reform, and Mediation), and outplacement clinics in Criminal Practice, Environmental Law, Immigrants' Rights, Legislation, Local Government Law, and Workers' Rights.

Applicants must have:

1. A minimum of three years practice experience in refugee law, and substantial exposure to international human rights law;

2. Exceptional written and oral communication skills;

3. A strong academic record;

4. Experience with supervising or mentoring students or colleagues in a legal setting; and

5. The ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

Bar admission required.

Fellows receive excellent University of California health benefits, and access to law school facilities. Working on one’s own scholarship is supported and encouraged. Salary range is $46,000-$50,000.

To apply, please send a resume, an official or unofficial law school transcript, a writing sample, and a statement of interest (maximum length five pages). The statement of interest should address: a) why you are interested in this fellowship; b) what you consider to be your strengths, and strongest potential contributions to the Clinic and to CGRS, c) your experience with asylum and other immigration cases, as well as any experience with international human rights law; and d) anything else you consider relevant. All applications must be received by February 1, 2010, and addressed to:

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

Refugee and Human Rights Clinic Teaching Fellowship

UC Hastings College of the Law

200 McAllister Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

Attn: Teaching Fellowship Committee

clinfell@uchastings.edu

If applying by email, please put “Refugee and Human Rights Teaching Fellowship” as the subject of the email and ensure that your last name is included in the filename of all attachments.

Rappaport Fellows Information Session

Rappaport Fellows Information Session

Wednesday, December 2nd

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Room 306

Featuring: Susan Prosnitz, Executive Director,
Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service

The Rappaport Fellows Program in Law and Public Policy is built around a series of experiences and activities that blend the practical and the intellectual elements of public service law and civic leadership. Fellows are placed primarily at Boston-area government agencies or in some cases at non-profit organizations where public policy initiatives are a critical part of the enterprise. Each Rappaport Fellow will complete a paid summer internship with a Boston-area government employer that focuses on urban law and policy issues. The summer internship stipend is $7,000 for ten weeks of full-time work and the completion of a paper addressing legal or policy issues arising out of his/her internship.

Panel Discussing the Legalization of Sex Work

On Monday, November 16, 2009, there will be a panel discussion on the legalization of sex work from a civil rights and civil liberties perspective at Harvard Law School. The panel will feature Vednita Carter, Melissa Farley, Samantha Majic, and Elizabeth Wood.

• Vednita Carter is the founder and executive director of Breaking Free, an organization that provides services and education to girls who have become victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
• Melissa Farley is the director of Prostitution Research and Education and is known for her studies on prostitution, trafficking, and sexual violence.
• Samantha Majic is an assistant professor of gender and American politics and public policy at John Jay College who does research on sex workers.
• Elizabeth Wood is an assistant professor of sociology at Nassau Community College who maintains a blog on sex worker's rights at http://sexinthepublicsquare.wordpress.com/.

The discussion will take place from 5:30-7:30 in Pound 107 on the Harvard Law School campus (Harvard Law map). Prof. Cohen from the law school will moderate.

2010 Conference on Environmental Justice, Air, and Green Jobs: Evolution and Innovation

January 25-27, 2010

New Orleans, Louisiana

This Conference provides an opportunity for participants to learn about the following:

• Goods Movement– new initiatives to reduce the impacts of transporting goods or produce.
• Sustainability/Green Jobs – sustainability in the context of jobs aimed at preserving ecosystems and reducing consumption.
• Ambient Air/Climate Change – impacts of ambient air pollutants and greenhouse gases on disproportionately affected communities.
• Hazardous Waste Cleanup/ Job Training – impacts and challenges of hazardous materials, waste exposure and cleanup activities.

For more information, please click here.

Part-time Family Law Staff Attorney Position in Michigan

THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL seeks applicants for a part-time staff attorney position at our Auburn Hills campus. This position is to be filled as soon as possible. The staff attorney will work in the Family Law Assistance Project, which is part of a partnership with Lakeshore Legal Aid. The staff attorney will share with another part-time staff attorney the responsibilities of one-half of a domestic violence/family law case load and supervising clinical students. Both part-time staff attorneys will work 20 hours over 3 days per week and handle all staff attorney obligations that arise on their scheduled work days. The staff attorney will keep current on family and domestic violence law and act as a liaison between FLAP and the community. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years of litigation experience, preferably in family law, and experience with poverty law and domestic violence. This is a non-contract staff position.

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter. Send these materials to Mr. Scott Harrison, Director of Human Resources, P.O. Box 13038, Lansing, MI 48901 or via email to hr@cooley.edu. Please include “FLAP Staff Attorney” in the subject line. Resumes will be accepted through November 29, 2009. Cooley is the national leader in minority enrollment among all accredited law schools in the 50 states, values diversity in the legal profession, and is an equal-employment-opportunity employer. For more information, please go to www.cooley.edu.

Jobs in International Human Rights Law Panel

Jobs in International Human Rights Law panel, Wednesday, November 11, in the Cherry Room at New England Law Boston beginning at 4:45. Panelists will discuss how to find jobs in the international human rights field. Speakers including Professors Dina Haynes and John Cerone and two practitioners from the community with field experience in Afghanistan, Bosnia and a multitude of other field missions.

Summer 2010 Law Clerk Positions

CENTER FOR GENDER & REFUGEE STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, HASTINGS COLLEGE OF THE LAW

The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS), one of the nation's leading refugee advocacy organizations, is seeking full-time Judith Stronach Women's Rights Fellows for summer, 2010. The Center, which is based at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, works to advance women's human rights by focusing on gender-based asylum and broader migration and refugee policies, both in the U.S. and internationally.

The law clerks will be involved in the full range of CGRS's work, including research and writing on key legal issues, appellate advocacy, involvement in international human rights projects, the preparation of expert witness affidavits, and national policy work.

Experience or background in asylum law is required. Experience with related areas, such as international human rights law or women’s rights, should be mentioned. Fluency in Spanish is desirable, but not required.

The position runs for 10 weeks during summer 2010.

For more information about the application process, please contact Professor Dina Haynes at dhaynes@nesl.edu.

Boston Bar Association Immigrant Law Committee

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER PROGRAMS

Friday, November 13th

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00pm

Place: Boston Bar Association @ 16 Beacon Street, Boston

Event: Why is the Department of Homeland Security Visiting U.S. Employers? Worksite visits to H and L employers by the USCIS’s Division of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS)

In the last several weeks, USCIS has started to send investigators to H and L employers all over the United States to conduct unannounced visits and interviews of company personnel and H and L foreign workers. Employers and H/L workers should know what is happening and how to respond.

The panel will discuss:

• What the FDNS is and their legal authority for conducting worksite visits
• How the visits are conducted, who they interview, and what questions are asked
• How to prepare your clients, both employers and foreign workers, for these unannounced visits - the documentation they should be familiar with and what they should and should not do when the USCIS investigator shows up
• Recent actions by other government agencies relating to fraud detection and employment law compliance, specifically the Department of Labor and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Tuesday, December 1st

Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm, followed by cocktail reception

Place: John Adams Courthouse @ One Pemberton Square, Boston

Event: Immigration Judge’s Panel: Presenting Your Case to the Court

Back again by popular demand, we are privileged to have several of Boston’s federal immigration judges join us for an intimate panel discussion and reception. The judge’s will discuss several case hypothetical, their preferences when handling different elements of cases (direct, cross, experts, evidence, etc.), and the latest court process and procedures. The panel discussion will be followed by a meet and greet reception with the judges and a great networking event with local immigration attorneys.

First Annual Human Rights Student Scholars Writing Competition

SPONSORED BY THE Human Rights Program of the University of Virginia School of Law and the Virginia Journal of International Law (VJIL)

WE INVITE PAPERS relating to human rights law from J.D., L.L.M. and S.J.D. students from the United States and abroad. May 2009 graduates may submit papers written as part of their law school curriculum.

THE TOP AUTHOR WILL RECEIVE:
• A cash prize of $500
• Featured presentation in an online symposium on Opinio Juris
• An invitation to present the paper at a special Student Scholars Workshop at UVA
• Expedited consideration for publication in VJIL

Submission Deadline: March 1, 2010

Visit www.vjil.org for specific guidelines and eligibility requirements.

Immigration Detainee Shares Story

Join Eddy Zheng as he shares his words and vibes with the Boston Progress community about his inspiring story.

Eddy Zheng is a community organizer and writer in the Bay Area, who spent over 20 years as an inmate in California and an immigration detainee facing deportation. He was released from immigrant detention in 2007, but still faces deportation.

Eddy came to the US with his family when he was 12 years old. When he was 16, he participated in a robbery with his friends; he was arrested and pled guilty to all counts. Charged as an adult, Eddy was sentenced to 7-years-to-life in 1986. While incarcerated, he learned English, completed his GED, and earned a college degree. Eddy worked with at-risk youth in crime prevention workshops in prison, pushed for the creation of ethnic studies courses in the prison college program, and organized the first poetry slam at San Quentin state prison.

The campaign to win Eddy’s freedom was supported by the judge who sentenced him, the district attorney who prosecuted him, more than a dozen legislators, and many community leaders. Although he was sentenced to 7-years-to-life, Eddy served more than 19 years as a model inmate before he was finally granted parole in 2005, at the age of 35.

Instead of being released to his family and community upon his parole, Eddy was simply transferred to immigration detention and placed in deportation proceedings, even though the state of California officially decided that he was fully rehabilitated and posed no threat to society.

After two years in immigration detention, Eddy was finally released in March 2007. As a community organizer, he has been very active in violence prevention among at-risk youth. The mayor of San Francisco recently appointed him to the city’s Council on ex-offender re-entry. Eddy also edited a collection of writings by Asian American inmates, Other: an Asian & Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology (foreword by Helen Zia).

Although Eddy was released from immigration detention, his deportation order is still in effect and he continues to face the likelihood of being deported.

Date: Friday, November 6, 2009
Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Location: East Meets West Bookstore
Street: 934 Massachusetts Ave

City: Cambridge, MA

2010 American Inns of Court Pegasus Scholarship Trust

Applications Due by December 1, 2009

"As a Pegasus scholar, I had opportunities, which many practicing barristers would not have, to shadow great advocates and jurists. The program has been the most rewarding experience of my legal career, and I encourage any young lawyer to apply for this remarkable six-week journey, which provides a wealth of knowledge and friendships that will last a lifetime."
—Elizabeth-Anne Larsen, former American Inns of Court Pegasus Scholar

The American Inns of Court is pleased to offer an invaluable experience to talented young American lawyers. Through the Pegasus Scholarship Trust, two American Inn of Court members travel to London, England, for four to six weeks to study the English legal system. All members admitted to the bar in the past few years are encouraged to apply for this "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity.

The four to six week 2010 Pegasus Scholarship will begin April 12, 2010. The 2010 Pegasus Scholarship brochure and Pegasus Scholarship application are now available on our Web site for download. Deadline for application is December 1, 2009. Selection will be made in mid-January 2010.

Pegasus scholarships provide opportunities for young American lawyers to visit London and learn first-hand about the English legal system and work directly with English barristers and judges.

For more information, please contact Cindy Dennis at (703) 684-3590 ext. 104 or cdennis@innsofcourt.org.

Electronic submissions welcomed. Send to Cindy Dennis at cdennis@innsofcourt.org

Submissions should be addressed to:
American Inns of Court
Attn: Cindy Dennis
1229 King Street, Second Floor
Alexandria, Virginia 22314