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Monday, March 29, 2010

Legal Internship at Disability Policy Consortium

The Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) is currently seeking a legal intern for summer 2010. DPC is a non-profit, nonpartisan, public interest organization devoted to promoting inclusion, independence, and empowerment by guiding statewide development of policies that ensure that programs and services enable people with disabilities to participate in the political, economic, and social mainstream of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The DPC is the only statewide cross-disability advocacy organization that actively engages with lawmakers and policymakers.

The DPC is currently engaging in a health care access project aimed at achieving comprehensive and accessible health care for all people with disabilities, through systemic legislative and judicial remedy. The legal intern, working with the Assistant Director for Policy and Advocacy, and other attorneys, will play an integral role in this project. The legal intern will also work on other

projects as needed.More information on how to apply for these opportunities and many others can be found within the JobNet section of Symplicity. Log on to https://law-une-csm.symplicity.com/students/.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Nonprofit Organizations and Animals: A Discussion Panel

Please join the Animal Law Society and the Center for Law and Social Responsibility for a Discussion Panel on how to organize and advise nonprofit organizations. Panelists will include representatives from national, state, and local nonprofit organizations as well as New England Law faculty. Topics will include how to reclassify an organization from a for-profit to a nonprofit and how to distinguish an organization’s primary purpose as “lobbying” rather than “educational”.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 30 from 4:30-6:00pm at the
WHERE: St. James building Conference Room.

Delicious refreshments will be served, so do not miss out!

Please RSVP to Hillary Isleib at hillaryisleib@nesl.edu if you wish to attend any portion of the event.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Film Screening


“If I Die Tonight”a film by Seyi

March 31, 2010, 6 p.m.
Stuart Street Playhouse, 200 Stuart St, Boston, MA 02116

Admission is Free!
Special film screening, Q&A with the director and discussion of the award-winning documentary. After-party with food and refreshments to follow the movie!!!

Indican Pictures presents “If I Die Tonight,” a feature length, award -winning documentary that explores the relationships and tensions that sometimes exist between police and the people they are sworn to protect.

For more information, please contact Laura Wareck at lwareck@oneillandassoc.com or 617‐646‐1037.

National Litigation Project seeks Summer Fellows

Two summer fellowships are available with the National Litigation Project of the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School. These fellowships would provide the opportunity to work closely NLP attorneys on all aspects of human rights-related litigation in U.S. courts, particularly claims arising out of counterterrorism policies, both here and abroad.

The NLP Summer Fellows will be active participants in the NLP’s work, including (1) litigating the NLP’s current docket of complex civil liberties cases ranging from the abuse of immigration authority to justice for torture victims; (2) conducting original research central to ongoing policy debates; and (3) developing public educational materials regarding the impact of U.S. counterterrorism tactics on human rights at the local, national and international levels. Student law interns will work closely with supervising attorneys on all of these matters. In the past, summer interns have participated in all levels, including arguing motions and taking depositions.

More information on how to apply for these opportunities and many others can be found within the JobNet section of Symplicity. Log on to https://law-une-csm.symplicity.com/students/.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Lawyers for Transgender Rights

Lawyers for Transgender Rights will bring together the Massachusetts legal community – lawyers, law students, law firms, legal organizations, bar associations, and law schools – to support transgender rights and the important work of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Lawyers for Transgender Rights is a cocktail reception taking place on Thursday, April 15, at 5:30pm at Club CafĂ©.

Visit here to learn more.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

ORAM Summer Internship

Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM)
Summer 2010 Refugee Law Internship Program

Focusing on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Refugees & Asylum Seekers

San Francisco, California
May 27, 2010 to August 13, 2010

Application Deadline: April 2, 2010

The ORAM Summer 2010 Refugee Law Externship Program provides unique training on US and international refugee law and procedure. Limited to a few selected participants, the eleven-week program consists of exceptionally strong academic and practical components. Participants will receive an intensive two-day orientation in refugee law. They will subsequently (1) handle cases under close attorney supervision; (2) conduct international advocacy on LGBTI-related refugee issues; and (3) research and write academic/professional-level publications on cutting-edge legal issues regarding LGBTI refugees and asylum seekers. Integrated into the program is ongoing instruction on the theoretical and practical aspects of international refugee law and procedure.

ORAM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) international organization based in San Francisco, CA. These are unpaid externships. Participants must obtain independent funding to cover their transportation, room, board and other living costs. Academic credit for the externships, to the extent available, is school-specific. ORAM will cooperate with any requirements or prerequisites in order to facilitate summer funding or academic credit from individual law schools, where available.

There are no foreign language requirements for the program. However, applicants conversationally fluent in Farsi or Arabic will be given priority.

More information on how to apply for these opportunities and many others can be found within the JobNet section of Symplicity. Log on to https://law-une-csm.symplicity.com/students/.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Kids in Need of Defense Training

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is an organization whose mission is to help unaccompanied children with their immigration cases. They will be hosting an event for those interested to learn more about KIND and immigration laws available to protect these children.

The KIND training will be held on Friday March 26, 2010 at Noon. The training will cover:
· KIND and its pro bono program
· The kids we help and some of their stories
· Immigration relief available to children, with a step-by-step explanation of “Special Immigration Juveniles” and a brief overview of asylum laws particular to unaccompanied children.
· The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) passed in December 2008 and its impact on these cases. This new law opens the door to help many more kids obtain lawful status in the U.S., but a lot remains to be discovered.

It is an exciting time to work on these cases and a rewarding opportunity to work with such amazing kids. This will be an informal training so bring your questions, ideas, strategies, and a lunch! They training will last a little over an hour.

Please RSVP to acooper@supportkind.org.

Where: Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) has graciously offered to host this training. MLRI is located at 99 Chauncy Street, 5th Floor. http://www.mlri.org/mlri_directions.

ABA Pro Bono Videos

The ABA's Center for Pro Bono now has a Videos page, with links to pro bono-oriented videos organized into categories. Check it out at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/videos.shtml.

The ABA is also encouraging people to submit links to their own videos.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Alternative Spring Break Blog


For anyone who would like to read up on the experience and the Haitian TPS work that the New England Law student volunteers did in Miami, please click here.

SALISBURY CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP IN CHILD AND FAMILY LAW

Loyola University Chicago School of Law is seeking applications for the Salisbury Clinical Fellowship in Child and Family Law. Loyola's ChildLaw program is offering this two-year Fellowship, to commence in July of 2010. The Fellowship will provide a unique opportunity for a recent law school graduate to gain experience in both clinical law teaching and litigation in the field of child law. The Clinical Fellow will work closely with the ChildLaw Clinic Faculty, assisting in the representation of clients, the supervision of students, and the development of course curriculum.


The Salisbury Fellow will share responsibility with the Clinic Director and Associate Director for the ChildLaw Clinic. The Clinic affords representation primarily to child clients, in the areas of child protection, child custody, and juvenile delinquency. The Fellow will assist with the supervision of law students in their representation of clinic clients. The Fellow will be expected to assist with all levels of client representation, including pre-trial, trial and appellate proceedings. The Fellow will also participate in the development of the course curriculum and the teaching of a weekly seminar, focused on ethical and substantive issues arising in the representation of child clients, skills training, and the discussion of current clinic cases. The Fellow will be encouraged to develop independent areas of interest, consistent with the mission of the ChildLaw Clinic.


Criteria for Selection: Priority will be given to recent law school graduates who have a demonstrated interest in the field of child and family law and an interest in pursuing a career in clinical law teaching. Candidates with at least two years of practice experience are preferred. Admission or eligibility for admission to the Illinois bar by July 1, 2010, is required. (Out-of-state applicants should review Illinois Supreme Court Rule 717 for special admission criteria applicable to legal service program lawyers.) Loyola University Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Educator.


More information on how to apply for these opportunities and many others can be found within the JobNet section of Symplicity. Log on to https://law-une-csm.symplicity.com/students/.

Conference: The Politics of Human Rights

Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference:
THE POLITICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Co-sponsored by: Boston College Department of Political Science Graduate Student Association, in partnership with the Boston College Department of Political Science Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, the Program in Islamic Civilization and Societies, the GSAS Dean’s Office, the International Studies Program, and the Center for Human Rights and International Justice

Contact: BC Political Science Graduate Conference Committee, bcpogradconf@gmail.com
More information available at http://www.bc.edu/centers/cloughcenter/Conferences.html

Keynote Speakers:
Susan Shell
Boston College, Department of Political Science
ARE ALL RIGHTS HUMAN RIGHTS?
Thursday, March 11, 5:00 pm
Chestnut Hill Campus, McGuinn Hall, Room 121
Respondent: David Hollenbach, S.J., Boston College Theology Department, Center for Human Rights and International Justice

Ann Elizabeth Mayer
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
ISLAMIC PARTICULARISM IN UNIVERSALIST GARB: THE NEW VEIL COVERING MIDDLE EASTERN GOVERNMENTS’ HUMAN RIGHTS POLICIES*
Friday, March 12, 12:30 pm
Newton Campus, Barat House, First Floor
Respondent: TBA

Sarah Sewall
Harvard Kennedy School, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE USE OF FORCE
Friday, March 12, 5:30 pm
Newton Campus, East Wing, Room 120
Respondent: Ward Thomas, Holy Cross Political Science Department

STUDENT PANELS
“THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS”
Thursday, March 11, 3:00 pm, Chestnut Hill Campus, McGuinn Hall Fifth Floor Lounge

“HUMAN RIGHTS AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCE”
Friday, March 12, 2:00 pm, Newton Campus, East Wing, Room 120

“STATE SOVEREIGNTY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS”
Friday, March 12, 2:00 pm, Newton Campus, East Wing, Room 120

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

New England Students in Miami Make National News

A group of students from New England Law traveled to Miami this week for spring break to assist with a Haitian TPS Clinic. The trip was organized by Erin Richards, President of the Immigration Law Association, and Professor Dina Haynes. The work that the students are doing was mentioned in USA Today on March 3, 2010.

The article explains that:

After the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that Haitian nationals would be eligible to apply for temporary protected status, the University of Miami School of Law's Health and Elder Law Clinic quickly developed a system largely staffed by students to help refugees with the paperwork. "Miami has a large Haitian population and there was a tremendous outpouring of goodwill and desire to help, so it seemed like this would be a useful way for law students to use their abilities," said JoNel Newman, an associate professor of clinical legal education who is the clinic's director.

An unexpected call from someone at Stanford Law School expanded the scope of the clinic's project. A group of students there had planned to spend spring break in Haiti but decided that it didn't make sense in the aftermath of the earthquake, and instead wanted to help Haitians in the United States. They offered to help staff the clinic for a week in March.

Groups from other law schools got in touch, too, and now Miami will spend the whole month of March hosting visiting students. In addition to those from Miami and Stanford, visitors from the New England School of Law, the University of San Francisco and the University of Memphis will do week-long rotations at the clinic.

But it won't be a spring break without fun. "Our students are very excited for the visitors," Newman said. "We'll have dinners, take them to Little Haiti one afternoon to both circulate information about the clinics and have some Creole food."

To view the entire article, click here.

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps

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 members provide critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities in the United States on a broad range of issue areas.

Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2010 will provide more than 600 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.

The application will be available on the Equal Justice Works cite from April 1, 2010 until April 16, 2010.

For more information about how to apply, please visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/programs/summercorps/general.

EPA Video Contest for EJ Faces of the Grassroots

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is sponsoring an environmental justice video contest that challenges amateur and professional filmmakers to create videos that capture the faces of the environmental justice movement. The Faces of the Grassroots contest is an opportunity to publicly exhibit creativity, environmental justice stories, and connect with others working to raise awareness of the movement.

“Faces of the Grassroots will help EPA expand the conversation on environmentalism and work for environmental justice,” said Charles Lee, director of the Office of Environmental Justice. “Participants can make a difference for the historically underrepresented in their community by using motion pictures to show the struggles and triumphs they have endured to advance environmental justice.”

Videos can focus on any environmental justice activity, issue, or topic. Examples would be a music video about climate change, or a video recording a successful environmental justice project that has made a community a healthier and happier place to live.

Awards will be given to the winning submissions in each category. The videos will also be featured on EPA's website and may be used as public service announcements. Entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, April 8th, 2010. EPA will announce winners in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.

Below are the categories and prize money:

Public Service Announcements (30-60 seconds)
1st Place - $2,500
2nd Place - $1,500
3rd Place - $1,000

Informational Video (3-5 minutes)
1st Place - $2,500
2nd Place - $1,500
3rd Place - $1,000