Welcome to the CLSR Weblog.
Please browse around, catch up on our latest public interest law projects, peruse our links (including the one to our home site, New England Law | Boston), and add your comments. Before you start, we encourage you to become familiar with our Terms of Use.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
'Outrage' Needed for Civil Gideon Success
Professor Russell Engler made an impassioned and knowledgeable case for Civil Gideon before a standing-room only forum in July 2010, as recounted by the Philadephia Bar Reporter
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Volunteer with Shelter Legal Services
Shelter Legal Services offers many different opportunities for law students, including first year students, to gain legal experience working directly with low income clients. They offer several legal clinics on-site at homeless shelters and other facilities throughout the Boston area.
Fall Volunteer Orientation: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Location: Boston University School of Law, Room 1270
Food and Materials Will Be Provided
***All class years and divisions welcome***
If you are interested in attending and volunteering with Shelter Legal Services, please RSVP by 5:00pm on Monday, September 27, 2010 to ShelterLegalTraining@gmail.com
Have you already attended a training and haven’t yet had the opportunity to volunteer? Email ShelterLegalTraining@gmail.com with your availability. Please indicate Previously Trained Volunteer as the subject.
Participation will be determined by availability and interest.
We will make every effort to accommodate as many students as possible but cannot guarantee placement in a particular clinic.
Fall Volunteer Orientation: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Location: Boston University School of Law, Room 1270
Food and Materials Will Be Provided
***All class years and divisions welcome***
If you are interested in attending and volunteering with Shelter Legal Services, please RSVP by 5:00pm on Monday, September 27, 2010 to ShelterLegalTraining@gmail.com
Have you already attended a training and haven’t yet had the opportunity to volunteer? Email ShelterLegalTraining@gmail.com with your availability. Please indicate Previously Trained Volunteer as the subject.
Participation will be determined by availability and interest.
We will make every effort to accommodate as many students as possible but cannot guarantee placement in a particular clinic.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Volunteer Opportunity: The Domestic Violence Institute at Boston Medical Center
The Domestic Violence Institute at Boston Medical Center (DVI at BMC) is looking for law students to volunteer in its innovative Emergency Department program. Students are trained to conduct educational interviews with female patients about domestic abuse and provide basic advocacy services for domestic violence victims.
Interviewer Advocate positions are geared toward students with no previous domestic violence experience interested in learning about the rights and remedies of domestic violence victims. Each Interviewer Advocate (IA) is placed on a team led by the more experienced Team Leader. The IA is primarily responsible for interviewing women in the Emergency Department about their thoughts on partner violence and opinions about the effectiveness of abuse prevention services. No domestic violence experience is necessary and 1Ls are strongly encouraged to apply!
Team Leader positions are geared toward students who have previously participated in the program as an IA or have prior advocacy experience. In their role as peer supervisors, the TL oversees evening shifts, provides feedback and support to the IA, and works in close collaboration with DVI at BMC attorneys. Students selected as Team Leaders must have some experience in domestic violence work.
For more information, and to fill out an application, visit www.dvi.neu.edu or contact Zoe Paolantonio at z.paolantonio@neu.edu or (617) 373-3939
Interviewer Advocate positions are geared toward students with no previous domestic violence experience interested in learning about the rights and remedies of domestic violence victims. Each Interviewer Advocate (IA) is placed on a team led by the more experienced Team Leader. The IA is primarily responsible for interviewing women in the Emergency Department about their thoughts on partner violence and opinions about the effectiveness of abuse prevention services. No domestic violence experience is necessary and 1Ls are strongly encouraged to apply!
Team Leader positions are geared toward students who have previously participated in the program as an IA or have prior advocacy experience. In their role as peer supervisors, the TL oversees evening shifts, provides feedback and support to the IA, and works in close collaboration with DVI at BMC attorneys. Students selected as Team Leaders must have some experience in domestic violence work.
For more information, and to fill out an application, visit www.dvi.neu.edu or contact Zoe Paolantonio at z.paolantonio@neu.edu or (617) 373-3939
Monday, August 30, 2010
Public Service Internship in the Family Court With Senior Partners for Justice
Senior Partners for Justice, a unique pro bono initiative at the Volunteer Lawyers Project, is pleased to offer an internship program for law students who want to provide critical assistance to low-income clients while gaining hands-on experience in the family court.
ABOUT SENIOR PARTNERS FOR JUSTICE
Founded in 2002 by Hon. Edward M. Ginsburg, a retired justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, Senior Partners for Justice (www.spfj.org) includes practitioners of all levels of experience, from retired attorneys and judges to new bar admittees and law students, who handle family law and other matters pro bono for low-income clients who would otherwise go unrepresented.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Interns are placed in the Suffolk, Middlesex, and Norfolk Probate and Family Courts, working directly alongside courthouse staff. This is an unpaid, non-credit internship, but it offers invaluable experience and a flexible schedule that can fit around other commitments.
The program is offered in the summer, fall, and spring semesters and runs for approximately ten weeks. We ask interns to spend at least one full day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or two half days, preferably mornings, at their courthouse each week.
The nature of the internship is a little different at each court:
• At Suffolk (located near North Station and Government Center), interns staff the very busy Register’s office and have the chance to help the Lawyer for the Day and observe court proceedings.
• At Middlesex (located in East Cambridge, at the Lechmere stop of the Green Line), interns rotate between different departments, gaining broad exposure to areas including Divorce and Paternity.
• At Norfolk (located in Canton, accessible only by car), interns work directly with the court staff members who assist unrepresented litigants, and they have a chance for more one-on-one interaction at a less busy court.
All participants in the internship program will receive support from the Senior Partners staff and invitations to trainings, luncheons, and other events through Senior Partners and VLP.
REGISTRATION
If you have questions or would like to sign up, please contact Dyana Boxley at 617-423-0648 x129 or dboxley@vlpnet.org and indicate which days you are available and which courts you prefer. You may also sign up online at http://vlpspj.wufoo.com/forms/pro-bono-internship-in-the-probate-family-court/. The Fall 2010 internship will run from approximately September 13th to December 3rd.
ABOUT SENIOR PARTNERS FOR JUSTICE
Founded in 2002 by Hon. Edward M. Ginsburg, a retired justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, Senior Partners for Justice (www.spfj.org) includes practitioners of all levels of experience, from retired attorneys and judges to new bar admittees and law students, who handle family law and other matters pro bono for low-income clients who would otherwise go unrepresented.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Interns are placed in the Suffolk, Middlesex, and Norfolk Probate and Family Courts, working directly alongside courthouse staff. This is an unpaid, non-credit internship, but it offers invaluable experience and a flexible schedule that can fit around other commitments.
The program is offered in the summer, fall, and spring semesters and runs for approximately ten weeks. We ask interns to spend at least one full day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or two half days, preferably mornings, at their courthouse each week.
The nature of the internship is a little different at each court:
• At Suffolk (located near North Station and Government Center), interns staff the very busy Register’s office and have the chance to help the Lawyer for the Day and observe court proceedings.
• At Middlesex (located in East Cambridge, at the Lechmere stop of the Green Line), interns rotate between different departments, gaining broad exposure to areas including Divorce and Paternity.
• At Norfolk (located in Canton, accessible only by car), interns work directly with the court staff members who assist unrepresented litigants, and they have a chance for more one-on-one interaction at a less busy court.
All participants in the internship program will receive support from the Senior Partners staff and invitations to trainings, luncheons, and other events through Senior Partners and VLP.
REGISTRATION
If you have questions or would like to sign up, please contact Dyana Boxley at 617-423-0648 x129 or dboxley@vlpnet.org and indicate which days you are available and which courts you prefer. You may also sign up online at http://vlpspj.wufoo.com/forms/pro-bono-internship-in-the-probate-family-court/. The Fall 2010 internship will run from approximately September 13th to December 3rd.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Center for Public Health and Tobacco Policy--Law Clerk (Work Study Position)
The Center for Public Health and Tobacco Policy (Center) at New England Law Boston’s Center for Law and Social Responsibility is seeking current day or evening students who have completed their first full year to work part-time (10-20 hours/week) during the fall ($10.00/hour).
The Center works with the New York State Department of Health and communities around New York to develop policies to reduce the availability of tobacco products, protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke, and minimize or remove tobacco advertising. The Center is directed by Professor Berman.
Duties:
* Assist with legal and policy research projects by conducting research, drafting memoranda, creating fact sheets, and working on policy reports
* Assist with workshop preparation and logistics
* Other items as assigned by the Center’s director, assistant director, or center administrator
Preference will be given to those students showing a sincere interest in public health law or public interest law.
Please contact Financial Aid to determine work-study eligibility.
Interested students should e-mail a resume, writing sample, (unofficial) transcript, and a brief statement explaining their interest in working at the Center to tobacco@nesl.edu.
Deadline for applications is Monday, August 30, 2010. Interviews will be conducted the week of August 30.
Any students who would be interested in volunteering with the Center for at least 5 hours a week are encouraged to send an email to tobacco@nesl.edu expressing their interest and availability. Students who volunteer with the Center are eligible for the Public Service Transcript Notation Program.
The Center works with the New York State Department of Health and communities around New York to develop policies to reduce the availability of tobacco products, protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke, and minimize or remove tobacco advertising. The Center is directed by Professor Berman.
Duties:
* Assist with legal and policy research projects by conducting research, drafting memoranda, creating fact sheets, and working on policy reports
* Assist with workshop preparation and logistics
* Other items as assigned by the Center’s director, assistant director, or center administrator
Preference will be given to those students showing a sincere interest in public health law or public interest law.
Please contact Financial Aid to determine work-study eligibility.
Interested students should e-mail a resume, writing sample, (unofficial) transcript, and a brief statement explaining their interest in working at the Center to tobacco@nesl.edu.
Deadline for applications is Monday, August 30, 2010. Interviews will be conducted the week of August 30.
Any students who would be interested in volunteering with the Center for at least 5 hours a week are encouraged to send an email to tobacco@nesl.edu expressing their interest and availability. Students who volunteer with the Center are eligible for the Public Service Transcript Notation Program.
Hanna S. Cohn Equal Justice Fellowship
Applications are currently being accepted from students entering their third year of law school for the Hanna S. Cohn Equal Justice Fellowship-an exciting, two-year, public interest fellowship opportunity. The Fellowship is a full-time position.
The Fellow will be placed at the Empire Justice Center, a statewide, multi-issue, multi-strategy non-profit law firm focused on changing the “systems” within which poor and low income families live. The Fellow will work with advocates in Empire Justice Center’s Rochester, New York office representing low-income clients in complex areas of litigation and other types of advocacy.
The Fellowship is being funded in memory of Hanna S. Cohn, a remarkable attorney who began her 25-year career in poverty law as a public interest fellow. Hanna was the Executive Director of Volunteer Legal Services Project (VLSP) a pro bono program that, because of Hanna’s leadership, is recognized as one of the best of its kind in the country.
Applications for the term beginning September 2011 and ending August 2013 are available for download at http://www.empirejustice.org/. The direct link to the application is: http://www.empirejustice.org/assets/pdf/press-release/hanna-s-cohn-fellowship-2.pdf
The Fellow will be placed at the Empire Justice Center, a statewide, multi-issue, multi-strategy non-profit law firm focused on changing the “systems” within which poor and low income families live. The Fellow will work with advocates in Empire Justice Center’s Rochester, New York office representing low-income clients in complex areas of litigation and other types of advocacy.
The Fellowship is being funded in memory of Hanna S. Cohn, a remarkable attorney who began her 25-year career in poverty law as a public interest fellow. Hanna was the Executive Director of Volunteer Legal Services Project (VLSP) a pro bono program that, because of Hanna’s leadership, is recognized as one of the best of its kind in the country.
Applications for the term beginning September 2011 and ending August 2013 are available for download at http://www.empirejustice.org/. The direct link to the application is: http://www.empirejustice.org/assets/pdf/press-release/hanna-s-cohn-fellowship-2.pdf
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Coping Strategies
Greetings from Nairobi! I want to apologize for my delay in blog posts. I have spent the better part of my last three weeks fully involved in interviews as well as trying to see as much of the country as possible. I want to reiterate my thanks to the Center of Law and Social Responsibility for giving me this amazing opportunity.
For the past three weeks, I have spent a good deal of time considering coping mechanisms. The first year of law school taught me how to manage a number of different problems: the Socratic Method, preparation for quizzes, and handling the stress of finals. However, the Center for Law and Social Responsibility guides students to use their education to help those less fortunate. In the course of that work, many students will find that our destitute clients have few happy stories, just hopes for happy endings. The question becomes how, as lawyers, we accomplish our tasks without being overcome by the stories we hear on a day-to-day basis.
While working at Mapendo, I have found this question to be a daily challenge. Since beginning my interviews I have had clients from the Congo, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Refugees in the African continent have unique stories of suffering often displaying what my father would call “man’s inhumanity to man.” I naively thought that I could handle the flood of stories coming through my office each day by separating work and home. Yet, I’ve found that listening to stories of abuse, separation, forced immigration, rape, murder, and genocide are not stories that you can detach from your own psyche and emotions.
Before I started working for Mapendo, I had a discussion with a friend in a similar kind of work. He brought up the issue of coping with refugees’ stories, and discussed his failure to manage those emotions in a suitable way. My friend told me that, to his own dismay, he separated refugees from himself. He could not listen to a refugee boy detail the rape and murder of his mother and associate that story with his own family. For him, separating himself from refugees was a survival method – a coping technique.
I left that conversation with an uneasy feeling. I felt that separating myself from my clients was exactly what I wasn’t supposed to do. At the same time I began to understand the awesome gravity that these stories held. I made a promise to attempt to not separate myself, but I was cognizant that I needed to develop a suitable coping method quickly.
In one of my recent interviews, a Somali woman, who had lost two of her children in a rocket grenade strike, succinctly explained the feeling that most refugees express in their interviews, albeit in different ways. She said that “you lose hope before you are even dead.” After hearing quotes like this, I’ll admit, my coping method is not foolproof. Yet, what I’ve found is an almost constant underlying theme of refugees’ stories is a random act of kindness. Without a doubt the original story is one of abject cruelty, but the difference between a person who is sitting in my office and a person who passed away in the country of origin is often one single act by a stranger. In this Somali woman’s case, a Somali man led her out of the warzone, where he then paid a driver to transport the woman to the Somali –Kenyan border. At the border, the local Somali community assisted the woman in crossing into Kenya.
In no way am I suggesting that these random acts of kindness absolve what has come before them, and certainly I acknowledge my inability to truly identify with a mother of two. As for now, I guess my coping method, of finding a silver lining in each story, works because I want to find a silver lining. I don’t want to lose hope in the populations I serve or the world at large. Perhaps it’s idealism to an extreme or just youthful naiveté, but for me, for now, it works.
For the past three weeks, I have spent a good deal of time considering coping mechanisms. The first year of law school taught me how to manage a number of different problems: the Socratic Method, preparation for quizzes, and handling the stress of finals. However, the Center for Law and Social Responsibility guides students to use their education to help those less fortunate. In the course of that work, many students will find that our destitute clients have few happy stories, just hopes for happy endings. The question becomes how, as lawyers, we accomplish our tasks without being overcome by the stories we hear on a day-to-day basis.
While working at Mapendo, I have found this question to be a daily challenge. Since beginning my interviews I have had clients from the Congo, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Refugees in the African continent have unique stories of suffering often displaying what my father would call “man’s inhumanity to man.” I naively thought that I could handle the flood of stories coming through my office each day by separating work and home. Yet, I’ve found that listening to stories of abuse, separation, forced immigration, rape, murder, and genocide are not stories that you can detach from your own psyche and emotions.
Before I started working for Mapendo, I had a discussion with a friend in a similar kind of work. He brought up the issue of coping with refugees’ stories, and discussed his failure to manage those emotions in a suitable way. My friend told me that, to his own dismay, he separated refugees from himself. He could not listen to a refugee boy detail the rape and murder of his mother and associate that story with his own family. For him, separating himself from refugees was a survival method – a coping technique.
I left that conversation with an uneasy feeling. I felt that separating myself from my clients was exactly what I wasn’t supposed to do. At the same time I began to understand the awesome gravity that these stories held. I made a promise to attempt to not separate myself, but I was cognizant that I needed to develop a suitable coping method quickly.
In one of my recent interviews, a Somali woman, who had lost two of her children in a rocket grenade strike, succinctly explained the feeling that most refugees express in their interviews, albeit in different ways. She said that “you lose hope before you are even dead.” After hearing quotes like this, I’ll admit, my coping method is not foolproof. Yet, what I’ve found is an almost constant underlying theme of refugees’ stories is a random act of kindness. Without a doubt the original story is one of abject cruelty, but the difference between a person who is sitting in my office and a person who passed away in the country of origin is often one single act by a stranger. In this Somali woman’s case, a Somali man led her out of the warzone, where he then paid a driver to transport the woman to the Somali –Kenyan border. At the border, the local Somali community assisted the woman in crossing into Kenya.
In no way am I suggesting that these random acts of kindness absolve what has come before them, and certainly I acknowledge my inability to truly identify with a mother of two. As for now, I guess my coping method, of finding a silver lining in each story, works because I want to find a silver lining. I don’t want to lose hope in the populations I serve or the world at large. Perhaps it’s idealism to an extreme or just youthful naiveté, but for me, for now, it works.
