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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Professor David M. Siegel on the Post- Conviction Access to Forensic and Scientific Analysis Act

                         
      A new article in the Boston Bar Journal written by Professor David Siegel, co-director of the Center, and Gregory I. Massing discusses the Post-Conviction Access to Forensic and Scientific Analysis Act. The Act, as the article explains, provides criminal defendants with the statutory right to access the scientific and forensic analysis of evidence in their cases. Professor Siegel states that "This developed out of long term work of the Criminal Justice Project that involved many students over the past decade."
     Below is an excerpt of the article.  To read it in full please visit this site. For more information on the Criminal Justice Project at the Center for Law and Social Responsibility please visit here.

                         
A New Tool for Determining Factual Innocence: Massachusetts' Post-Conviction Access to Forensic and  Scientific Analysis
         Angel Hernandez spent thirteen years in Massachusetts prisons for a rape he did not commit.  He spent a decade of that time seeking DNA testing of evidence he was told was lost or unavailable, or was not subject to discovery through the procedure he was using, or that he had no right to test, or that he had waived the right to test.[1]  He ultimately obtained access to the evidence, and DNA testing fully exonerated him.  The ability of a wrongfully convicted criminal defendant to access evidence to prove it, and the obligation of the Commonwealth to keep that evidence, may seem utterly common sense -- but they are now the law of the Commonwealth too.  On February 17, 2012, Governor Patrick signed the Post-Conviction Access to Forensic and Scientific Analysis Act, 2012 Mass. Acts, c. 38, which provides a statutory right for wrongfully convicted defendants to obtain access scientific and forensic analysis of evidence in their cases.  The Act, which becomes effective May 17, 2012, creates a comprehensive framework by which criminal defendants who have been found guilty may gain access to evidence and testing to support a claim that they are factually innocent.  The Act also requires for the first time in Massachusetts state-wide retention and preservation of evidence in criminal cases and provides for regulations in this area.  Although virtually every other state already provided this type of access, testing, and retention, the Act is among the most comprehensive in the country.  The saga of Angel Hernandez should not have to be repeated. READ MORE....

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Clinical Law Fellow Opportunity: University of Massachusetts School of Law

Clinical Law Fellow
The Clinical Fellow in the Immigration Law Clinic at the University Of Massachusetts School Of Law—Dartmouth will work in the Immigration Law Clinic on direct representation, student supervision, teaching, and appellate and advocacy work. For the complete job description please go to www.umassd.edu/hr.
 
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS; Juris Doctorate; Admission to the Massachusetts Bar or eligibility to be waived into practice in Massachusetts upon assuming clinical responsibilities; EXPERIENCE:  Previous student/staff experience in a law clinic; OTHER: Evening and weekend hours and travel as required

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
•  Previous experience in immigration law and practice
•  Previous successful completion of work as a law student in a law school’s immigration  clinic
•  Ability to communicate in Spanish as a second language
•  Two years of practice experience in immigration removal defense, asylum practice and Special Immigrant Juvenile cases.

To apply please send a letter of interest, current resume and the contact information for up to three professional references to: Search for Clinical Law Fellow, Office of Human Resources, 285 Old Westport Rd., North Dartmouth, MA 02747.

The review of applications will begin May 22, 2012 and continue until the position is filled.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Pace Community Law Practice Opportunity

Supervising Attorney and Assistant Director, Pace Community Law Practice (PCLP), Pace Law School
The PCLP is an innovative new community legal services center opening at Pace Law School in fall 2012.  One of the first of its kind, the PCLP will provide recent Pace Law School graduates with one-year fellowships to represent low and moderate income clients on a sliding scale basis.  In addition to providing direct legal representation, the PCLP will create capacity for low bono services by training and educating its Fellows in how to build solo and small legal practices.  This training will provide Fellows with the tools to sustain their employment and provide ongoing legal services to high-needs populations.  The PCLP plans to represent clients in immigration proceedings--which permit law graduates to represent clients before they have been admitted to the bar--as well as other legal practice areas, which may include but are not limited to family law, administrative proceedings such as Social Security and disability hearings, guardianship, housing, and others.

The PCLP is seeking a Supervising Attorney/Assistant Director who will have primary supervision and management responsibilities for the Fellows.    The Supervising Attorney/Assistant Director will provide direct legal supervision and mentorship to the Fellows in their representation of clients and assist the Executive Director in the management of the PCLP.  S/he will also assist the Executive Director in creating and executing the training and solo practice curriculum for Fellows and guide the Fellows in their community outreach and training efforts.  The ideal applicant will have experience in one or more of the practice areas listed above.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
•    Supervising legal cases and representing clients
•    Managing, mentoring and supervising Fellows
•    Managing daily operation of PCLP law office, including management of administrative personnel, Fellows, volunteer attorneys, and law students/legal interns
•    Creating and developing training curriculum and solo practice training, including monitoring pertinent sources for CLEs, lectures, conferences, bar association programs, workshops, etc. of potential benefit to Fellows
•    Assisting the Executive Director with establishing practices and protocols for PCLP
•    Drafting grant applications and reports and  cultivating  sources of support for PCLP
•    Reporting case data and information
•    Other administrative responsibilities such as maintaining malpractice insurance, Board of Immigration Appeals accreditation, specialized practice library, system of case file organization, Facebook page, budget preparation and reimbursement approval, etc.
•    Reporting to the Executive Director of the PCLP
•    Pro-active public speaking and writing about the PCLP and related issues in legal education, professionalism, and law practice: enhancing the public profile of the PCLP through writing op-eds and letters to the editor, traditional and social media appearances, blogging, online commentary, and list-serv participation  
•    Creating and maintaining relationships with community groups and collaborating legal services providers including private practitioners and relevant bar associations
•    Assisting the Executive Director with recruiting and maintaining panel of mentors
•    Advocating on policy issues and/or participation in policy-making through membership on boards, commissions, or legislative bodies relevant to the client populations served
•    Engagement with the life of the Law School and the New York State Judicial Institute as necessary, possible, and appropriate: e.g., assisting moot court teams and student organizations; guest lecturing in classes, CLE programs or at the Judicial Institute; participating in faculty colloquia; contributing to Career Development and Public Interest Law Center panels and job interview simulations, etc.  
•    Collaborating, when possible, with Pace Law School’s clinics
Qualifications:
•    A JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school
•    Admission to practice law in New York State; admission in federal district courts and Second Circuit a plus; notary public a plus
•    Five to seven years of relevant experience in one or more legal practice areas; flexibility, capacity, and willingness to self-teach new areas of law and/or legal skills
•    At least 1-3 years experience supervising, managing, and evaluating legal work
•    Demonstrated capacity for high-quality decision-making/problem-solving: ability to diagnose problems, identify objectives, devise and select options and strategies
•    Demonstrated professional judgment: ability to generate and justify alternative legal positions, and to assess their strengths and weaknesses
•    Creativity: capacity to use legal arguments and authorities creatively and imaginatively
•    Theoretical perspective: capacity to perceive, research, and critically analyze non-legal contextual aspects of law and lawyering decisions such as empirical data/assumptions underlying a legal rule or principle; ability to distinguish policy and law arguments and to judge when and how to utilize each or both
•    Demonstrated commitment to provision of high quality legal services to low and moderate income communities and demonstrated strong public interest orientation
•    Excellent public speaking and writing skills; publications about lawyering, the legal profession, legal education, or legal issues a plus
•    Enthusiasm for creating and building a new model of legal services provision; interest in developing sophisticated knowledge of law office management, practice models and techniques, etc. through mastery of the pertinent literature and consultation with experts 
•    Commitment to training and mentorship of starting attorneys as well as to continual self-improvement; ability to reflect on, and learn from lawyering experience; skill and experience in providing constructive feedback to colleagues and systematic structured evaluation of attorney performance
•    Sensitivity to ethical issues, awareness of professional norms and standards; ability to analyze the applicability and validity of professional norms and standards in specific situations, choose among conflicting professional norms, and integrate personal and professional values;  inclination to articulate rationale of ethical choices; coherence and consistency of ethical reasoning
•    Small/solo/law firm practice experience a plus 
•    Business experience a plus
•    Fluency in a language other than English a plus

Location:
•    The PCLP is located on Pace Law School’s campus at: 33 Crane Avenue, White Plains, NY 10603.

How to apply:
Applications may only be submitted through Pace University’s career site, at https://careers.pace.edu.  Interested candidates can search for the posting number: 0601319.  Questions may be directed to Jennifer Friedman, Executive Director, Pace Community Law Practice, at jfriedman@law.pace.edu.  Do not submit application materials directly to Jennifer Friedman.

Assistant Position with NLG

Lawyer Referral Service Coordinator/Administrative Assistant
Full Time (35 hours a week)


The National Lawyers Guild is a progressive bar association of lawyers, legal workers, and law students dedicated to overcoming political, social, and economic injustices. The Massachusetts Chapter of the Guild consists of 300 legal professionals, united in an organization that “shall function as an effective political and social force in the service of people, to the end that human rights shall be regarded as more sacred than property interests.” The Massachusetts Chapter, a non-profit entity, has a small 3-person office. The Administrative Assistant will work under the direction and supervision of the Chapter Director.

Work hours: Weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Salary: $17/hour
Benefits: Excellent benefits under NOLSW/UAW 2320 union contract
Deadline for application is May 17, 2012 Starting Date is July 23, 2012

Responsibilities:
1. Coordinate and complete all office administrative tasks, which include:
• Membership – update and maintain database, complete quarterly dues billing and quarterly membership
reports, work on membership development, including mailings and phone solicitations
• Fundraising – assist with grant proposals, organize and assist with all special events
• Office Management – maintain office equipment and supplies
• Preparation of materials for meetings and events
• Newsletter production – 8 times a year, help solicit and edit articles, do layout and mailing
2. Coordinate the Lawyer Referral Service, which includes:
• Taking calls and emails from potential low- and moderate-income clients and refer them to Guild lawyers
• Membership – maintain database, generate statistical reports, built Project’s membership
• Conducting on-going outreach to organizations and update the website
3. Support Student Chapters and NLG Committees:
• Assist Mass Defense Committee which trains and provides legal observers for demonstrations and lawyers to defend protesters
• Assist Guild Student Chapters at local law schools

Requirements:
• Commitment to progressive politics and NLG Mission
• Organized, flexible, self-motivated, with good communication and writing skills, interpersonal skills
• Must be able to work independently
• Strong phone and computer skills (Mac and PC), experience with FileMaker, Excel, and Quark
• Webpage design and hosting preferred but will train right candidate
• Fluency in Spanish is preferred
• MINIMUM ONE YEAR COMMITMENT

Email (DO NOT MAIL) (1) Letter of Interest, (2) Resume, and (3) References as ONE DOCUMENT to:
Urszula Masny-Latos, Executive Director nlgmass@igc.org

Staff Attorney for Environmental Law Clinic


 About
The University of California, Irvine School of Law invites applications for a year-round, full-time Staff Attorney position in its Environmental Law Clinic. The Staff Attorney will be a one-year contract staff position, with possibility of renewal for a second year. Desired start date is on or before July 1, 2012.
The Environmental Law Clinic is one of several core clinics that meet the  School  of  Law’s  clinical requirement.

Clinic Work
The Staff Attorney will report to, and work closely with, the Director of the Environmental Law Clinic. The nature of Environmental Law Clinic projects varies depending on client need, appropriateness of project for clinical teaching, student and faculty interest, and resource availability, but can be expected to include a mix of advocacy, and policy matters in multiple fora.
The position offers an opportunity to work on interesting, important environmental law matters, assume substantial responsibility for cases, and help to develop cases for students to work on at various stages. The staff attorney will also work closely with a range of public interest organizations.
The staff attorney will be expected to take an active role in case development and planning but will not have direct responsibility for the supervision of law students, nor be expected to teach a class or seminar.
Applicant Criteria
•Applicants must hold a J.D. degree or equivalent from an accredited institution.
•Applicants must be admitted to the California Bar (highly desirable), or the Bar of another
state.
•Five or more years of relevant work experience.
•Expertise or experience in areas of environmental law, including but not limited to: water, air, natural resources, toxics, CEQA, energy, public health, and environmental justice.
•Applicant should have demonstrated an interest and aptitude in legal and policy work related to environmental law, and a commitment to client service and the development of law students through experiential learning. Significant litigation experience including preparation of pleadings, motions and briefs are highly desirable, as are legal skills in investigation, client interviewing, compliance review, and negotiation.
•We encourage applications from those committed to equal opportunity and diversity.
•Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
•Excellent legal research and analytical skills.

Application Material and Deadlines
 Please  submit  the  following  materials  using  UC  Irvine’s  on- line application system, located here; search for job number 2012- 0247:
•A cover letter describing your interest and experience in environmental law and working as part of a clinical law environment
•A current resume/cv
•Contact information for three references who can comment on your legal skills, academic
performance, or practice experience.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, applications and supporting material should be received by May 30, 2012.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Education Law Project's New Initiative

Public Education Legislation Project (PEPP)

A new initiative was launched by Professor Teixeira de Sousa this semester to analyze proposed legislation dealing with public education.  Professor Teixeira de Sousa describes the need for the project: “Education law and policy issues have become favorite topics for the media, and voters are increasingly aware of their elected officials’ views on education.  However, as legislators across the country scramble to respond to their constituents’ concerns and introduce legislation on a variety of complex and novel education issues, it remains to be seen whether many of these bills have the potential to aid children struggling at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.”   PEPP will conduct an academic analysis of selected bills in the region in order to understand whether particular policy changes will work to the benefit or detriment of vulnerable student populations.  

3L, Jeananne Russell, began working with Professor Teixeira de Sousa this semester to conduct research on a bill that seeks to change the process through which students enroll in charter schools.  Jeananne is in the process of gathering research on charter school enrollment policies across the country and is also engaged in gathering research about the impact of specific selection mechanisms on at-risk student populations.  Ms. Russell also had the opportunity to meet with the state representative who introduced the bill in order to gain a better understanding of the goals of the legislation. 

PEPP will seek to extend research opportunities to additional students in the fall and it is hoped that students will gain skills in legislative drafting, statutory construction and critical analysis.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Gender Advisor Position with OSCE

The Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Centre in Bishkek seeks applications for the position of Gender Adviser. This "International seconded" vacancy is for 12 months, with the possibility of extension if funds permit. "International seconded" means that the hire would have to be pre-selected through the Department of State.

Qualifications sought include:
6 years' relevant professional experience; university education in political sciences, international relations, public policy, law, international human rights law or other human rights related fields, and advanced degree in relevant field; experience working with human rights, minority or gender issues; experience in drafting reports and possession of organizational, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills. Previous experience working in Central Asia is desirable.

To apply visit the CSO Symplicity site, Job ID #7331.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Research Assistant Opportunity with Professor Haynes

Professor Haynes seeks a summer research assistant, familiar with or interested in human trafficking and public international law.  Must be work study eligible and able to work 10-15 hours per week.  Ideal candidate is familiar with blue book or social sciences citations and able to remain into the Fall semester.  Interested candidates should send a cover letter, indicating specific qualifying experience and current class rank to dhaynes@nesl.edu by May 15, 2012.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

CORI Initiative Wrap Up

The Center for Law and Social Responsibility’s CORI Initiative concluded its successful first year on April 27th 2012 with presentation of a by Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) Attorney Pauline Quirion to CLSR Fellow Sarah Herbert and some of the students who worked with the CORI Initiative, thanking the Initiative for its work this year.
The CORI Initiative’s goal is to assist those who are harmed by their criminal record. Students met on Friday afternoons to do client intake and draft affidavits in support of sealing to be used by GBLS or by the client if pro se. Students also took did in-take and observed hearings at Dorchester and Roxbury municipal court, where they could see  their affidavits used to seal a client’s CORI. Then, students from the Initiative submitted public comments on behalf of CLSR addressing regulations implementing CORI Reform. The CORI Initiative looks forward to building on these efforts next year by expanding the number of cases it can take and developing an online CORI reform resource.

Pictured above left to right, are Andrew Higley (2L), Attorney Quirion, CLSR Fellow Sarah Herbert, Allison Haar (2L) and Reidan Fredstrom (3L).