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

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.

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

More information: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/events/video-contest.html.

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL SERVICES ATTORNEY WANTED

Western Massachusetts Legal Services Inc. (WMLS) seeks an experienced attorney for its Foreclosure Prevention Alliance Project, supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. This is a one year Contract Employee position based in the WMLS Springfield, MA offices.

Project Attorney provides direct legal representation and assistance for low-to-moderate income residents facing foreclosure; mentors pro bono attorneys in consumer law, and foreclosure defense and prevention work; provides community outreach and training about predatory lending practices; and is a member of the Alliance of Providers of Legal Services to Individuals Facing Foreclosure in Hampden County.

Requirements: Admission to the bar; one to two years experience in consumer protection law and foreclosure defense and prevention work; must be, or eligible to be, licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Compensation: Salary competitive & commensurate w/ experience; health insurance; travel and parking.

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/.