Vocare

The following government programs have 3L deadlines coming up in the next few weeks. Details of these programs are provided in the 2011-12 Government Honors & Internship Handbook, located at https://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm.

*Login information is available on the Symplicity homepage

• Sacramento State Center for California - 2012-2013 Capital Fellows Programs California Senate Fellows Program (Paid, Deadline 02/22/12)
• Sacramento State Center for California - 2012-2013 Capital Fellows Programs California Executive Fellows Program (Paid, Deadline 02/22/12)
• Sacramento State Center for California - 2012-2013 Capital Fellows Programs California Jesse Marvin Unrah Assembly Fellowship Program (Paid, Deadline 02/22/12)
• Sacramento State Center for California - 2012-2013 Capital Fellows Programs California Judicial Administrative Fellowship Program (Paid, Deadline 02/22/12)
• Securities & Exchange Commission - Summer Honors Business Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/29/12)

Posted by suen at 1:17 PM | Permalink

The following government programs have 2L deadlines coming up in the next few weeks. Details of these programs are provided in the 2011-12 Government Honors & Internship Handbook, located at https://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm.

*Login information is available on the Symplicity homepage

SUMMER PROGRAMS

• Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Law Clerk & Intern Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 02/20/12)
• Election Assistance Commission - Office of General Counsel Law Clerkship Program (Paid, Deadline 02/24/12)
• New Jersey Attorney General - Division of Criminal Justice summer Law Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/24/12)
• Federal Communications Commission - International Bureau - Strategic Analysis & Negotiations Division Student Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/28/12)
• Overseas Private Investment Corporation - Department of Legal Affairs Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/28/12)
• Environmental Protection Agency - R8 Office of Regional Counsel Volunteer Intern Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/29/12)
• Securities & Exchange Commission - Summer honors Business Honors Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/29/12)
• United States Sentencing Commission - Summer Legal Internship (Paid, Deadline 02/29/12)
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission - Legal Intern Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline not yet established was early March)
• Health & Human Services - Departmental Appeals Board Volunteer/Internship/Externship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• Illinois Attorney General's Office - Law Clerk Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• Maine Attorney General - Summer Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• New York City Department of Probation - Office of the General Counsel Law Student Internships (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• Virginia Attorney General - Summer Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• City of Chicago Department of Law - Summer Law Clerk (Unpaid, Deadline 03/02/12)

FALL
• Department of State - Student Internship Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 03/02/12)

Programs with "Rolling Deadlines" review applications and fill positions on an ongoing basis, so apply early for these programs.

Posted by suen at 1:08 PM | Permalink

The following government programs have 1L deadlines coming up in the next few weeks. Details of these programs are provided in the 2011-12 Government Honors & Internship Handbook, located at https://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm.

*Login information is available on the Symplicity homepage.

Summer Programs

• Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Law Clerk & Intern Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 02/20/12)
• Election Assistance Commission - Office of General Counsel Law Clerkship Program (Paid, Deadline 02/24/12)
• Federal Communications Commission - International Bureau Strategic Analysis & Negotiations Division Student Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/28/12)
• Overseas Private Investment Corporation - Department of Legal Affairs Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/28/12)
• Securities & Exchange Commission - Summer Honors law Program (Unpaid, Deadline 02/29/12)
• United States Sentencing Commission - Summer Legal Internship (Paid, Deadline 02/29/12)
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission - Legal Intern Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline not yet established was early March)
• Alabama Office of the Attorney General - Summer Law Clerk Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• Health & Human Services - Departmental Appeals Board Volunteer Internship/Externship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• Illinois Attorney General's Office - Law Clerk Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• Maine Attorney General - Summer Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• New York City Department of Probation - Office of the General Counsel Law Student Internships (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• Virginia Attorney General - Summer Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 03/01/12)
• City of Chicago Department of Law - Summer Law Clerk (Unpaid, Deadline 03/02/12) Fall
• Department of State - Student Internship Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 03/02/12)

Posted by suen at 1:00 PM | Permalink

The 2011 Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) Conference will be an all-day event on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Emory Law School. The conference is well attended by students, legal practitioners, and faculty; and we hope to attract a large number of people interested in child law issues from the rest of Emory campus, the state of Georgia, and the national community.

This year's conference topic is Child Law: Past, Present, and Future. We want participants to learn about the unique plight of children, who cannot always advocate for themselves and who may not always have access to the legal system. You can learn more and register for the conference at http://www.law.emory.edu/academics/conferences/2011-epic-conference.html.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 10:20 AM | Permalink

From the U.S. Department of State:

USAJobs.gov will transition to a new system October 6-12, 2011. During this time, the ability to conduct job searches, apply for jobs or receive application status updates will not be possible. Employers will not be able to post any new jobs. Even after the transition is complete, there may be sporadic, unannounced shutdowns.

For those applying for U.S. Department of State opportunities, we encourage you to complete your application prior to October 6, if possible, to reduce the possibility of system problems preventing an on-time submission. At this point, we do not anticipate a need for extending any application deadlines. However, we will monitor the situation and keep you informed of any changes.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 10:14 AM | Permalink

The following government programs have 3L deadlines coming up in the next few weeks. Details of these programs are provided in the 2011-12 Government Honors & Internship Handbook, located at https://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm. User ID and password on Symplicity homepage.

· Department of Energy - Office of General Counsel Attorneys Honors Program (Paid, Deadline 09/23/11)

· Environmental Protection Agency - Office of General Counsel Honors Fellowship Program (Paid, Deadline 09/23/11)

· Federal Communications Commission - Office of General Counsel 2012 Attorney honors Program (Paid, Deadline 09/23/11)

· Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - 2012 Legal Division Honors Program (Paid, Deadline 09/30/11)

· Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Panel Judicial law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 09/30/11)

· U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of General Counsel General Counsel's Honors Program (Paid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· New York County District Attorney's Office - Assistant District Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline Rolling by 10/01/11)

· Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Office of General Counsel Honor Law Graduate Program (Paid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· California Department of Justice - Honors Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline 10/03/11)

· Oregon Department of Justice - Honors Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline 10/06/11)

· Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia - Attorney Hiring Program (Paid, Deadline 10/07/11)

· Environmental Protection Agency - R1 Honors Attorney Fellowship (Paid, Deadline 10/14/11)

· Army Corps of Engineers - Chief Counsel's Civilian Honors Program (Paid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· Environmental Protection Agency - R9 2012 Honors Attorney Fellowship (Paid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· Environmental Protection Agency - R10 Honors Attorney Fellowship (Paid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· National Labor Relations Board - Board, General Counsel HQ & Regional Offices Honors Attorney Programs (Paid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· Ohio Attorney General's Office - 2012 Simon Karas Fellowship (Paid, Deadline not yet established, was 10/15/10)

Spring Programs
· Department of Education - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline Rolling but preferred by October)

· Smithsonian Institute - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Securities & Exchange Commission - Law Student Observer Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/07/11)

· San Francisco, Office of the City Attorney - 2012 Intern Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/11/11)

· California Franchise Tax Board - Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· Department of Energy - Office of General Counsel Law Student Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/15/11)

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 2:48 PM | Permalink

The following government programs have 2L deadlines coming up in the next few weeks. Details of these programs are provided in the 2011-12 Government Honors & Internship Handbook, located at https://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm. User Id and password on Symplicity homepage.

· Texas Attorney General - Law Clerk Program (Spring, Summer & Fall) (Unpaid, Deadline 10/15/11)

Spring Programs
· Department of Education - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline Rolling, but preferred by October)

· Smithsonian Institution - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Securities & Exchange Commission - Law Student Observer Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/07/11)

· San Francisco, Office of the City Attorney - 2012 Intern Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/11/11)

· California Franchise Tax Board - Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· Department of Energy - Office of General Law Student Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/15/11)

Summer Programs
· Ohio Attorney General's Office - Summer Law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 09/23/11)

· Federal Reserve Board - Summer Law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 09/30/11)

· Alabama Office of the Attorney General - Summer Law Clerk Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of General Counsel Law Intern Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation - Office of General Counsel Law Clerkship Program (Paid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Sacramento County, CA District Attorney's Office - Law Student Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Office of Legal, Legal Intern Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/14/11)

· Securities & Exchange Commission - Summer Honors Law Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/14/11)

· Colorado Public Defender - Summer Legal Internship Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· Environmental Protection Agency - R9 Summer Law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 10/15/11)

· City of Philadelphia - District Attorney's Office Summer Legal Internship (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 10/15/11)

Programs with "Rolling Deadlines" review applications and fill positions on an ongoing basis, so apply early for these programs.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 2:47 PM | Permalink

Public Defender Corps is a joint effort by the Southern Public Defender Training Center and Equal Justice Works to provide intensive training and mentoring to new attorneys with the goal of supporting the public defender community and raising the standard of representation across the country.

The application deadline for Public Defender Corps to 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 30, 2011. Visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/post-grad/public-defender-corps for more information.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:26 AM | Permalink

NALP is accepting nominations for the 2011 PSLawNet Pro Bono Publico Award, which recognizes the extraordinary contributions that law students make to under-served populations, the public interest community, and legal education by performing pro bono or public service work. The Pro Bono Publico Award is available to any second- or third-year law student at a PSLawNet subscriber school. The recipient will be honored during an Award Luncheon at NALP's Public Service Mini-Conference on Thursday, October 20 in Washington, DC. Law students are judged by the extracurricular commitment they have made to law-related public service projects or organizations; the quality of work they performed; and the impact of that work on the community, their fellow students, and the school. Nominations must be received by Thursday, September 15 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. Learn more and download a nomination form here

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 11:42 AM | Permalink

Making Government Service "Cool" Again: A discussion with John Berry, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Monday, September 12, 2011
5:30 to 7 p.m.
Cowles Auditorium
Humphrey School of Public Affairs
301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis

John Berry is the federal government's chief "people person." As the director of the U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), he is responsible for recruiting, hiring, and setting benefits policies for 1.9 million federal civilian employees.
Recently, President Obama challenged Berry to make government service "cool" again. Last December, the President issued an executive order directing the OPM to create a faster, easier pathway to public service for students and recent graduates. The proposed Pathways Programs would improve recruiting and provide for training, mentoring, and career development opportunities.
Come and learn more about government service and the federal career opportunities right here in the Twin Cities.
RSVP at http://makinggovernmentcool.eventbrite.com/.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 3:52 PM | Permalink

From PSLawNet"

Hey 2Ls and 3Ls: are you on the postgraduate fellowship hunt? We've just updated PSLawNet's database; there are over 300 new listings. Go to www.pslawnet.org, log in, and run an opportunity search by selecting any or all of the four "fellowship..." options in the "Job Type" field.

To help you keep track of application deadlines, we've put together a master calendar listing all the deadlines we could find.

Good luck! Let us know if there is other information you'd like us to provide by emailing pslawnet@nalp.org.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 11:53 AM | Permalink

The following government programs have 3L deadlines coming up in the next few weeks. Details of these programs are provided in the 2011-12 Government Honors & Internship Handbook, located at https://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm. User ID and password located on the homepage of Symplicity.

· Department of the Interior - Office of the Solicitor 2012 Honors Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline 09/09/11)

· Department of Transportation - Office of the General Counsel 2012 Honors Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline 09/09/11)

· Washington Attorney General - Preferred Pool Status in Attorney Hiring (Paid, Deadline 09/09/11)

· Federal Trade Commission - Bureau of Competition Entry Level Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline 09/15/11)

· Comptroller of the Currency - Law Department Chief Counsel's Employment Program (Paid, Deadline 09/16/11)

· Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General - Fellowship Program (Paid, Deadline 09/16/11)

· Environmental Protection Agency - Office of General Counsel Honors Fellowship Program (Paid, Deadline 09/23/11)

· Federal Communications Commission - Office of General Counsel 2012 Attorney honors Program (Paid, Deadline 09/23/11)

· Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - 2012 Legal Division Honors Program (Paid, Deadline 09/30/11)

· Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Panel Judicial law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 09/30/11)

· U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of General Counsel General Counsel's Honors Program (Paid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· New York County District Attorney's Office - Assistant District Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline Rolling by 10/01/11)

· Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Office of General Counsel Honor Law Graduate Program (Paid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· California Department of Justice - Honors Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline 10/03/11)

· Oregon Department of Justice - Honors Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline 10/06/11)

· Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia - Attorney Hiring Program (Paid, Deadline 10/07/11)

Fall Programs
· Department of Commerce - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 09/15/11)

Spring Programs
· The White House Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 09/11/11)

· Department of Education - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline Rolling but preferred by October)

· Smithsonian Institute - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Securities & Exchange Commission - Law Student Observer Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/07/11)

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 4:10 PM | Permalink

The following government programs have 2L deadlines coming up in the next few weeks. Details of these programs are provided in the 2011-12 Government Honors & Internship Handbook, located at https://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm User ID and password on the Symplicity homepage.

Fall Programs
· Department of Commerce - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 09/15/11)

Spring Programs
· The White House Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 09/11/11)

· Department of Education - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline Rolling, but preferred by October)

· Smithsonian Institution - Office of General Counsel Legal Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Securities & Exchange Commission - Law Student Observer Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/07/11)

Summer Programs
· Department of Justice - Summer Law Intern Program (Paid, Deadline 09/06/11)

· Central Intelligence Agency - Office of General Counsel Summer Law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 09/15/11)

· Environmental Protection Agency - R7 Kansas City, Summer Legal Intern Program (Paid, Deadline 09/15/11)

· Federal Trade Commission - Bureau of Competition Summer Intern Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 09/15/11)

· Federal Trade Commission - Bureau of Consumer Protection 2012 Summer Law Clerk Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 09/16/11)

· Department of Health & Human Services - Office of Counsel to the Inspector General 2012 Summer Law Clerk Positions (Paid, Deadline 09/16/11)

· Ohio Attorney General's Office - Summer Law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 09/23/11)

· Federal Reserve Board - Summer Law Clerk Program (Paid, Deadline 09/30/11)

· Alabama Office of the Attorney General - Summer Law Clerk Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of General Counsel Law Intern Program (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation - Office of General Counsel Law Clerkship Program (Paid, Deadline 10/01/11)

· Sacramento County, CA District Attorney's Office - Law Student Internship Program (Unpaid, Deadline 10/01/11)

Programs with "Rolling Deadlines" review applications and fill positions on an ongoing basis, so apply early for these programs.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 3:55 PM | Permalink

Each year the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair brings together more than 1,000 public interest law students from 200 law schools all under one roof.

The registration deadline for the EJW Career Fair is Sept. 12, 2012. Interview notifications being on Sept. 30:
http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/conference-and-careerfair

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 1:09 PM | Permalink

The 2011-12 Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide is Now Available

The 2011-12 Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide is available for free download on PSLawNet. The Federal Guide is a distilled version of the much more robust content offerings on PSLawNet's Federal Government Resources page.

Thanks Touro Law Center.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 10:23 AM | Permalink

From the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM):

ILCM is throwing the doors to our main office wide open on September 22, 2011. Please join us for drinks, snacks, and visiting with friends of ILCM including partners, pro bono attorneys, volunteers, and other supporters and members of the community.

When: September 22, 2011 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Brief remarks at 5:30 PM.

Where: The Bigelow Building, 450 North Syndicate St., Suite 175, Saint Paul, MN.

What: Open House. Visit our remodeled office space, mingle with other allies, and learn more about the staff and board of directors of ILCM, as well as the organization's future goals.

No RSVP necessary and please, bring a friend or forward this invitation to any others that may be interested in learning more about ILCM. Thank you as always for your support.

To learn more about ILCM, visit http://ilcm.org/

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 11:15 AM | Permalink

NALP is accepting nominations for the 2011 PSLawNet Pro Bono Publico Award, which recognizes the extraordinary contributions that law students make to under-served populations, the public interest community, and legal education by performing pro bono or public service work. The Pro Bono Publico Award is available to any second- or third-year law student at a PSLawNet Subscriber School. The recipient will be honored during an Award Luncheon at NALP's Public Service Mini-Conference on Thursday, October 20 at the Washington, DC office of Arnold & Porter, LLP. For more information and to submit a nomination, view the nomination form.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 9:52 AM | Permalink

The NAC seeks to recruit three (3) new law student members and three (3) law school professional (faculty and staff) members to serve two-year terms from August 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013.

The NAC provides a vehicle through which students and professionals at Equal Justice Works member law schools help advance the organization's goal of having students develop a lifelong commitment of working on behalf of under-represented individuals, communities and causes.

Additional information about the NAC including a list of current members is available at:
http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/about/national-advisory-committee

Applications are available at: http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/nac

Posted by halve190 at 10:21 AM | Permalink

Registration for the Equal Justice Works 2010 Conference and Career Fair has opened! On Oct. 22 and 23, over 1,000 students and law school professionals will come together for the opportunity to meet with more than 130 public interest employers, practitioners and leaders. Important information regarding registration is below. Please forward this information to all interested students and alumni. We hope to see you in October!

Hotel accommodations: The Conference and Career Fair will take place at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, minutes from Washington, D.C. Be sure to book your hotel room for the discounted rate of $149 per night before the deadline of Friday, October 8. Use group code EQJEQJA.

Student / Graduate Registration: Students may begin applying for posted positions and registering to attend using our new online system, JusticeWork! Information on how to register and a registration guide are available on our website.

Note: Some employers are still adding in job listings. Check back often for new listings or create a Job Agent in JusticeWork! to be notified of new listings as they are available.

Law School Professional Registration: Law school faculty and staff attending our Conference and Career Fair may register online through October 12.

Important Dates

* August 30 - September 24
Students may apply for interviews.
* September 27 - October 4
Employers will notify students if selected for interviews. Registered employers may post openings and position descriptions.
* October 5
All interview notifications complete.
* October 6
Students may begin accepting/declining interviews
* October 8
Last day to reserve hotel rooms for low rate of $149 per night!
* October 12
Last day for students to accept or decline an interview slot.
Last day for students to register to attend the Conference and Career Fair.
* Oct. 22 & 23
2010 Conference and Career Fair

We look forward to seeing you in October! If you have any questions regarding the Conference and Career Fair please visit our Forum or contact careerfair@equaljusticeworks.org

Receive updates by following from EJW on Twitter @EJW_org hash tag #CCF10, or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:14 AM | Permalink

Getting Your Student Loans Forgiven: How government and nonprofit employees can earn public service loan forgiveness

A must attend for anyone with high student debt working for the government or a nonprofit, this free webinar explains how you can benefit from the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the most significant law affecting public service in a generation.

From this interactive webinar, you will learn and be able to ask questions about:

* How to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
* How the new Income-Based Repayment plan works
* How to figure out how much you can benefit

Upcoming sessions:

* Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 12 p.m.-1 p.m. EDT

Space is limited so please register here.

Presented by Heather Jarvis.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 12:15 PM | Permalink

Purpose: To recognize the significant contributions that law students make to under-served populations, the public interest community, and legal education by performing pro bono or public service work.

Eligibility: The Pro Bono Publico Award is available to any second- or third-year law student at a
PSLawNet Subscriber School. The recipient will be honored during an Award Luncheon at NALP's
Public Service Mini-Conference on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at the Washington, DC office of Arnold & Porter, LLP. The Award recipient will receive transportation to Washington, a one-night stay in an area hotel, a commemorative plaque, and a small monetary award.

For more information, click here.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 8:57 AM | Permalink

Each year the Partnership organizes a federal job fair in Washington, D.C. to facilitate conversations between great, entry-level talent and agency representatives and encourage these individuals to bring their skills and experience to the government. This year's Public Service Career and Internship Fair took place on July 14 and connected representatives from 85 federal agencies with more than 8,000 students and job seekers from across the country.

Said one student, "I was able to accomplish what I set out to do and put my résumé into the hands of agencies that I have been trying to contact on USAJOBS.gov for quite some time." Agencies were equally excited about their interactions with participants, and found a number of promising candidates for their internship programs and available jobs.

Agencies recruited for a wide variety of positions at the Career Fair, ranging from engineers to accountants to program analysts and everything in between. This diversity is indicative of the broad spectrum of positions available to students and jobseekers in government. Nearly every federal agency is looking to hire candidates in a number of fields. This is why it is so important that students begin researching federal agencies and their missions to determine which offices will be a good fit for them before applying.

On September 1 the Partnership will release the new Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings of more than 283 federal agencies, offices and subcomponents. This report and Web site not only ranks agencies based on employee satisfaction, but also on effective leadership, pay and benefits, work/life balance and more. Users can create customized profiles based on the criteria in which they are most interested in potential employers, and compare up to three agencies at once.

Consider doing your homework on federal agencies by visiting bestplacestowork.org, wherethejobsare.org and makingthedifference.org today!
Agencies: Learn more about your agency's Best Places to Work in the Federal Government ranking here.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:06 AM | Permalink

Today's post on possible career routes into Inter-Governmental Organizations like the United Nations comes from Sara Rakita, Associate Director of the Public Interest Law Center at New York University School of Law. Sara has worked extensively on human rights and the rule of law, primarily in Africa. Before joining PILC in 2006, she served as a long-term consultant to the Ford Foundation, where she was responsible for piloting and setting up TrustAfrica, a new African grant-making foundation that is now based in Senegal. Sara spent five years as an Africa Researcher at Human Rights Watch, including two years as the organization's representative in Rwanda. Sara has also consulted for Amnesty International, Global Rights, USAID, and the Austrian development agency. Sara holds a J.D. from NYU, an M.I.A. from Columbia University, and a B.A. in international studies from The American University. She is fluent in French and has a working knowledge of Spanish and Russian.
Lots of people would love to work for the United Nations or other Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs), but it's not always apparent how to get there. Indeed, there is no single path. In an effort to demystify a process that is not always transparent, this post will explain some of the main channels into IGOs.

As a baseline, it helps to have a background in international law, foreign language skills, and experience working and living abroad. But, even with all of this, this is still a VERY challenging sector to break into. Getting a job at IGOs or the UN takes a whole lot of networking, persistence, and creativity - with a measure of luck and being in the right place (and often knowing the right people) at the right time.

Click here for the entire post. There are a ton of resources.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 1:36 PM | Permalink

Equal Justice Works is excited to announce our 2010 Summer Corps members. With a record of 1,536 applications this year, the selection process was extremely competitive.

This year's 577 Summer Corps members represent 153 Equal Justice Works law schools and are serving in 45 states plus the District of Columbia. Accepted members can be seen listed by state with their host organization on the Equal Justice Works "2010 Summer Corps by law school" page. These first-and-second-year law students will each receive a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award voucher upon completion of a minimum of 300 hours of summer service at a nonprofit public interest organization. Summer Corps members will provide critically needed legal assistance to low-income and underserved communities around the country. In addition, Summer Corps members gain first-hand experience and legal skills in areas such as client intake, individual representation, research and writing.

Summer Corps members are engaged with a broad range of issues, including civil rights, community economic development, death penalty, disability rights, housing, domestic violence, education, public benefits and workers' rights.

To learn more about Summer Corps, please visit our webpage. You can also follow our AmeriCorps Program on Twitter. Continue to check back over the summer for guest posts from members and to find out who wins the Summer Corps Standout Awards.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 12:32 PM | Permalink

Students working for the federal government in Washington, D.C. this summer are encouraged to apply to serve as Federal Service Student Ambassadors to the law school.

The Federal Service Student Ambassadors program is designed to increase interest in federal service on college and university campuses through developing a group of passionate student advocates who actively promote public service following their completion of a federal internship. Through planning events, networking sessions, and meetings with key faculty and staff members, ambassadors raise awareness of the incredible opportunities and benefits of federal service.

Throughout the ambassadorship, students will receive support from the Partnership for Public Service, as well as build a community of practice through regular communication with fellow ambassadors. Additionally, ambassadors will receive a competitive stipend for their service.

The application deadline is Friday, June 11, 2010.

To be eligible for the program, ambassadors must participate in an internship with a federal agency in Washington, D.C. for summer 2010. Additionally, they must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an accredited college or university for the 2010-2011 academic year. Ideal candidates possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrate a commitment to public service and are actively involved in leadership roles and/or extracurricular activities.

For more information and to apply, visit the Making the Difference website

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 12:31 PM | Permalink

Call to Serve Events

The Partnership provides professional development for university advisors around federal opportunities through onsite training and virtual webinar conference calls.

Onsite Trainings and Presentations

* Federal Advisor Trainings
* Federal Service Summit
* Conferences and Presentations
* Federal Agency Effective Hiring Workshops

Webinars

* University Webinar Workshop Series
* Federal Agency Webinars
* Archived University Webinars

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 2:41 PM | Permalink

From the Minnesota Justice Foundation:

Through the Law School Public Service Program, your school encourages every student to volunteer 50 hours of law-related service during law school. This program is administered by the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF). Volunteer work will make you more marketable because you will gain practical legal experience by interviewing clients; conducting research; drafting memoranda, pleadings, and other legal documents; performing fact investigation; assisting clients in completing legal forms or representing clients in court. Students who complete the program will receive special recognition.

Stop by the MJF office to find the volunteer project right for you.
MJF offers volunteer opportunities with more than 150 public interest law agencies, including legal services providers, nonprofit organizations, government offices, and private firms pro bono projects, and offers opportunities in a wide variety of substantive areas. MJF works with you to ensure that your volunteer placement matches your interests and time constraints. Fall semester positions go live on our website August 1st. They go fast so make it a priority!

Have you been volunteering in a law-related public service project?
If so, make sure that you notify MJF of your volunteer service hours. Even if you did not arrange your service project through MJF, any law-related volunteering will count toward the 50 hours needed to complete the program. This includes hours you gave that exceeded clinic or work study requirements.

If you are volunteering, please log your hours! To log your hours, visit the MJF website at http://mnjustice.org/ and follow the link on the left hand side. If your volunteer position is not listed, contact your MJF staff attorney, Andrea Nordick, at uofm@mnjustice.org.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:05 PM | Permalink

From PSLawNet.

Tom Fox of the Partnership for Public Service has partnered with the Washington Post to launch a new blog titled "The Federal Coach." The blog's focus is leadership development in federal employment, but it's also a great resource if you want to learn more about different kinds of federal jobs, as Fox conducts interviews with people from a variety of agencies. Best of all, on Fridays Fox will respond to reader questions, so get over there and take advantage of this great new resource!

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:05 AM | Permalink

The Department of Education has published a comprehensive list of Questions and Answers regarding the Income-Based Repayment plan. Many graduates will be interested in this information, not only those in public service but all those with relatively high student debt to income. http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/IBRQ&A_template_123109_FINAL.pdf


Thanks to Heather Jarvis, Senior Program Manager at Equal Justice Works

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 11:13 AM | Permalink

PSLawNet.org has launched a Blog to serve as an information clearinghouse for law students and lawyers on public service career paths. PSLawNet's announcement about its new blog:

The PSLawNet blog is the next, logical step in our effort to inform and educate public interest advocates of all experience levels by providing an ongoing environmental scan of the legal public service arena and offering daily updates on news and policy developments. We will offer content to several audiences, and individual posts will inevitably be more meaningful to some than others. But the common thread in our blog activities will be the sharing of as much information affecting the public interest legal community as possible.

We hope this will be a useful tool for all of you pursuing public service careers.

Posted by at 2:20 PM | Permalink

To recognize the University's support of student veterans, a financial grant from the Walmart Foundation will be used to fund internships for student veterans and service members for 2009-2010. Internship grants (in varying amounts up to a maximum of $1,800) will be awarded each term (fall 2009, spring 2010, May/summer 2010) to qualified applicants. Grant preference will be given to students engaged in unpaid internships, although paid internships that pay less than $1,800 throughout the semester will also be considered.
Application deadlines

All application materials must be submitted via e-mail to veterans@umn.edu no later than 4:30 p.m. on the deadline day. Late applications will not be accepted. Grant application deadlines are as follows:

Spring semester: February 10, 2010

May/summer term: June 9, 2010

For complete information, click here.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:31 AM | Permalink

From the December 2009 'Call to Serve eNews' letter:

Browsing the Web? Looking for new sites to explore? Check out one of the Partnership's Web sites to learn more about how to find the best places to work in government, what types of positions the government is hiring for through 2012, and everything in between!

* Call to Serve: The Partnership's Web site for career advisors, university faculty and staff members, and agency representatives.
* Making the Difference: The Partnership's Web site for college students and recent graduates interested in federal employment.
* Best Places to Work: Based on feedback from more than 221,000 civil servants, the Partnership has compiled its "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" rankings of 283 federal agencies and subcomponents.
* Where the Jobs Are: Check out a list of federal hiring projections through 2012!
* Service to America Medals: Each year the Partnership celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of federal employees at the Service to America Medals. Nominate your colleagues for a medal or view video clips featuring past winners!

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 10:42 AM | Permalink

For feds, more get 6-figure salaries:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-10-federal-pay-salaries_N.htm

Or maybe you are unsure how to get hired?
https://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/how-to-switch-careers-uncle-sams-appeal.html
Government recruiting young talent:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/16/AR2009111603573.html

Posted by at 3:14 PM | Permalink

Check out this very helpful article from the NCDA website: Federal Government Internships Offer Hope in the Tight Economy by Laura Kapelski

"Statistics on rising unemployment and decreased hiring projections across widespread career industries have led college students to wonder about their career possibilities and competitiveness in a tight job market. These challenging times also present difficulties for college career counselors. In particular, counselors must manage college students' expectations of the job market while at the same time offering strategies and tips for obtaining career related experiences."

Job Search Resources for Federal Government Internships/Jobs

* http://www.usajobs.gov/
* http://www.studentjobs.gov/
* http://makingthedifference.org/index.shtml
* Federal agencies' employment sections. To access a listing of federal agencies visit: http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml

For the complete article, click here.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:59 AM | Permalink

Here is an informative article federal job seeking by Barbara Reinhold, Monster Contributing Writer

According to the Office of Personnel Management, in the next 10 years, 60 percent of federal workers will be retiring. There is plenty of opportunity, but job seekers need to remember that the process for landing a job with the federal government is radically different than what they may be used to in the private sector.

We've compiled six common myths job seekers believe when going for that government job, based on calls and emails to the USAJOBS customer support team and feedback from federal recruiters.

Click here for the entire article with the six myths .

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:00 AM | Permalink

The annual National Pro Bono Celebration is scheduled for October 25 through 31, 2009. Sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, the celebration is a coordinated national effort to showcase the great difference that pro bono lawyers make to the nation, its system of justice, its communities and, most of all, to the clients they serve. The week is also dedicated to the quest for more pro bono volunteers to meet the ever-growing legal needs of this country's most vulnerable citizens

For more information click here.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 12:04 PM | Permalink

Department of State is Hiring Diplomatic Security Special Agents

The Department of State is hiring - Diplomatic Security Special Agents (known overseas as Regional Security Officers - Foreign Service Specialists)

The Department of State is accepting applications for Foreign Service Diplomatic Security Special Agent positions.

Click here (http://careers.state.gov/specialist/opportunities/secagent.html) for more information, and to start the application process. Please note that the deadline to submit completed applications is October 8, 2009.

Special Agents (SA) are sworn federal law enforcement officers who are responsible for the security of Foreign Service personnel, property and sensitive information throughout the world. Major activities include protective services, management of security programs for Foreign Service posts, criminal investigations, and background investigations, in addition to administrative, training, and liaison functions. Special Agent applicants must be U.S. citizens and must have a bachelor's degree at the time of appointment. Candidates must be within nine months of receiving their Bachelor's degree in order to apply, specifically, they must receive their degree prior to July 22, 2010 (exceptions cannot be granted). Special Agent candidates must be appointed prior to their 37th birthday.

(Thanks to our friends at University of Miami Law School)

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 6:32 AM | Permalink

Passing a message to me from the Partnership for Public Service:

According to the results of a report released by the Partnership for Public Service earlier this month, the federal government will need to hire 273,000 new federal workers for mission-critical positions over the next three years. This surge in hiring is the result of an increased demand for services, priority program initiatives like climate change and healthcare, a wave of baby boomer retirements and normal attrition.

The majority of these positions are expected to fall into five broad fields:

* Medical and public health

* Security and protection

* Compliance and law enforcement

* Legal

* Administration/program management

These jobs, and those in other categories, cover almost all occupational fields and issue areas, and are located across the country and around the world. From doctors and nurses to law enforcement and immigration personnel to lawyers and program managers, there are positions available for nearly all academic majors, interest areas and skill sets.

Arriving at a time of high national unemployment and a renewed enthusiasm for public service, this hiring surge could not have come at a more appropriate moment. It presents an incredible opportunity for your students and alumni to find meaningful careers, and a chance for the federal government to select high-caliber talent, reinvigorate the civil service and build a workforce for tomorrow.

For more information, click here.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 11:56 PM | Permalink

I received a great question from a student earlier today and I wanted to share the information more widely.

Q: As I look at usajobs.gov, I find a lot of interesting openings at GS 10-14 levels. I am aware that GS 9 is the typical entry level for law graduates. Should I not apply for any jobs above GS 9 level?

A: Great question! Many entry-level positions at the federal government are at GS (pay scale) 9. However, do not limit yourself to only GS-9. Entry-level attorneys may also start at GS 10 or 11, or even 12 with previous government or military experience.

More information about federal GS pay scales is available here.

Posted by at 3:53 PM | Permalink

From the U.S. Department of State:

We are pleased to inform you that we are now accepting applications for the Summer 2010 Student Internship Program.

Please click here (http://careers.state.gov/students/programs.html#SIP) for more information, and to view the vacancy on USAJobs and start the online application process. The deadline to submit completed applications is November 2, 2009.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and a student in order to be eligible. Please read the vacancy announcement for all eligibility requirements.

PLEASE NOTE: You may experience some technical difficulties with the online application system. Please click here (http://careers.state.gov/students/workaround.html) for workaround instructions. We apologize for the inconvenience - we are working to fix this issue as quickly as possible.

We appreciate your interest in a career with the U.S. Department of State.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 12:38 PM | Permalink

The CIA will be hosting two information sessions next week on:

Thursday, September 17th
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Room 215 Hubert H. Humphrey Center, West Bank

All U of M undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning
more about the CIA and their career opportunities are welcome to attend.
No registration is required.

*Students attending the information sessions should bring a copy of
their resume. *

The CIA will be setting up interviews at the info sessions with selected
students for Friday, September 18 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Center.

Posted by at 12:22 PM | Permalink

Here are the handouts from today's program on Federal Government Hiring. Feel free to make an appointment with your counselor to discuss opportunities.KSA Handout.pdf, 2009 Government Presentation Handout.pdf, and 2009-10_NALP_Federal_Opportunities_Guide.pdf.

Posted by at 1:22 PM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota Law School is proud to introduce the Fourth Judicial District Law Clerk Post-Graduate Fellowship. The Law School will award up to five Judicial Law Clerk Post-Graduate Fellowships. Fellows are required to work a total of 400 hours and will receive an award of $5,000.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS
Applications are open to 2009 graduates of the University of Minnesota Law School who have taken the bar exam or will take it in July 2009. Graduates are not eligible if they have secured another permanent law or law clerk position, regardless of the start date of that employment.

Placement in the top 50% of the Law School class is preferred. Successful applicants will have knowledge of general law, state law, established precedent, sources of legal reference, court practices and procedures, and legal terminology and concepts. They will be able to communicate clearly and concisely in both oral and written forms with diverse audiences, research complex legal questions and apply legal principles, represent the court in a respectful manner, establish and maintain effective working relationships, and skillfully use word processing and legal research software.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Fellows will perform professional legal work under general supervision of a justice, judge, or other legal officials in the Fourth Judicial District. Duties involve legal research and other related clerical or administrative work in preparation of memoranda, opinions, or orders for judges or court officials concerning the cases before them. Fellows' work is reviewed through conferences and written reports.

Some examples of a Judicial Law Clerk's responsibilities may include review, research, and annotation of laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, and briefs; preparation of briefs, legal memoranda, statements of issues, and appropriate suggestions or recommendations; compilation of references on laws and decisions necessary for legal determinations; conferring with justice, judge, or court official on legal questions, construction of documents, and granting of orders; attendance at oral arguments to record necessary case information; maintenance of records attendant to court proceedings; and performance of such courtroom duties as calling the calendar, swearing in jury panels and witnesses, taking court minutes, and assisting in arraignments, motions, hearings, pre-trial conferences, and trials.

Fellows are required to work a total of 400 hours, at 30 hours per week. Fellows are paid as employees of the Fourth Judicial District and receive paychecks, with proper withholding, according to the Judicial District's regularly scheduled payroll process.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants are required to prepare the following supplemental material:

•Rank in order of interest the following types of law: family, civil, criminal, and juvenile.
•Describe what would make you a successful clerk in each area.
To apply for a Fellowship, upload your resume, cover letter, supplemental material, and a short writing sample into Symplicity. The deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 14. The Fourth Judicial District will notify applicants who receive an interview.

QUESTIONS
For additional information about the Post-Graduate Fellowship Program, please contact Dana Bartocci, Employer Relations Coordinator, Career and Professional Development Center, University of Minnesota Law School, at bartocci@umn.edu bartocci@umn.edu or 612-625-4694.

Posted by at 8:03 PM | Permalink

From Equal Justice Works Fellowships Staff:

The 2010 Equal Justice Works Fellowship application is available at http://info.equaljusticeworks.org/fellowships/login.asp. You may review the application form in order to advise students by creating a profile and an application name.

Important reminders:

Review the application ASAP. We recommend that prospective candidates review the online application form as soon as possible to familiarize themselves with how it works and to prepare the necessary items required to apply -- the online application, the Certification Form (signed by both candidate and host organization and accompanied this year by a Benefits Summary Sheet) and up to two letters of recommendation.

Begin working on the application early. There are character limits noted for each text box, and character counts may differ between a word processing program and the application. It is therefore important for candidates to paste the text into the application well in advance of the deadline to ensure that the text fits in the allotted space. The server also grows increasingly busy as the deadline approaches.

Hard copy documents must be received by September 17th. The deadline for submission of the application, which is done online, is 5pm EDT on September 17th. A signed Certification Form and up to 2 recommendation letter(s) must be received by Equal Justice Works no later than September 17th. These items must be mailed or hand delivered. Faxes and emails will not be accepted.

If you have any questions, please email fellowships@equaljusticeworks.org or call (202)466-3686, extension 202.

We hope you are having a pleasant summer!

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 4:31 PM | Permalink

For those who are unfamiliar, please note that PSLawNet's Federal Government Careers page - which is free and publicly accessible - is newly updated and expanded:
http://www.pslawnet.org/governmentcareers.

From Steve Grumm, NALP's Director of Public Service Initiatives

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:45 AM | Permalink

The Partnership for Public Service and American University's School of Public Affairs recently released the 2009 edition of Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. The Best Places to Work rankings are the most comprehensive and authoritative rating and analysis of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government.

While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Government Accountability Office maintained their top positions in 2009, both agencies also significantly increased their scores. On the other side of the spectrum, the three lowest-ranked agencies in 2007, the Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security and Small Business Administration (SBA), were all among the most-improved agencies in 2009. SBA improved its index score by a whopping 30 percent.

For the fourth time in a row, survey data showed the primary driver of job satisfaction in the federal space to be effective leadership. While this finding is no surprise, the reasons behind it are. Although conventional wisdom holds that the greatest influence on an employee's satisfaction is his or her immediate supervisor, the 2009 Best Places rankings reveal that the quality of the agency's senior leadership is the primary indicator of employees' leadership satisfaction.

Schools: There has never been a more exciting time for your students to pursue a career in federal government. Click here to learn more about the wide variety of opportunities available to job seekers.

Agencies: Are you committed to improving your score? Click here.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:33 AM | Permalink

The Partnership for Public Service has learned from our research that students in college are generally interested in working for the federal government but lack the knowledge to actually find and apply for those jobs and internships. We also learned that students look to their peers for advice and assistance throughout the job-search process. As such, the Federal Service Student Ambassadors program is designed to increase interest in federal service on college campuses through developing a corps of passionate student advocates who will actively promote public service following their completion of a federal summer internship.

As a Federal Service Student Ambassador you will educate and inform students on your campus of federal jobs and internships. Having already completed a federal internship yourself, you will lead outreach efforts to your campus community during the 2009-10 academic year. The federal government needs to fill 45,000 entry level jobs each year and you can help to fill this gap with the best and the brightest.

Click here for more Information.

Continue reading "Federal Service Student Ambassadors" »

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 8:13 PM | Permalink

Looking for an opportunity with the federal government? Take a look at this great resource.

Uncle Sam needs you according to a new report — Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, released in July by the Partnership for Public Service. The report outlines government-wide projected hiring needs through 2009 and is based on a survey of 34 federal agencies representing nearly 99 percent of the federal workforce. The survey finds nearly 193,000 mission critical jobs need to be filled in the next two years!

For more information, visit http://www.makingthedifference.org/federaljobs/.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 6:33 AM | Permalink

Equal Justice Works has launched a new web resource for students and educators regarding student debt. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act - legislation that forgives student debt and limits monthly loan payments - becomes fully effective on July 1, 2009. Signed into law nearly two years ago, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) will now help thousands of recent graduates cope with student debt and enter public service.

To help college graduates and their advisors understand, qualify and take advantage of benefits under the CCRAA, Equal Justice Works has developed a free online resource center that provides a comprehensive overview of its provisions as well as many practical tools including simple checklists, calculators, lists of loan repayment assistance programs, FAQs and podcasts.

Visit the Equal Justice Works Debt Relief online resource center. Please feel free to forward this email to any interested students, lawyers or others using the "send this to a friend" feature at the top right corner of this email. Look for more information about upcoming events, including webinar sessions, coming this summer.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 11:42 AM | Permalink

Equal Justice Works Public Service Career Fair
WHEN: October 24-25, 2009

WHERE: Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C.

Visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/ or e-mail Nada El-Eryan at neleryan@equaljusticeworks.org for more information.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 9:50 AM | Permalink

Please visit 2008-2009 National Summer Funding Resources for an updated listing of National Summer Funding Resources for your summer internships.

As always, please contact the CPDC for more information.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 9:55 AM | Permalink

A Notice from the ABA

The American Bar Association Center for Pro Bono is pleased to announce a new innovative project -- Medical Legal Partnerships Pro Bono Support Project -- to coordinate an ABA-based national medical-legal partnership pro bono support initiative. The Project will expand the current landscape of Medical-Legal Partnerships by increasing the targeted patient populations, and it will provide support to existing medical–legal partnerships by developing a national support center. Moreover, the Project will work to actively engage the private bar as a consistent provider of legal services in the hospital and clinic settings.

For further information or to view the Medical-Legal Partnerships: Pro Bono as a Healing Art website, click here.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 8:01 AM | Permalink

Equal Justice Works and American University’s Washington College of Law have teamed up to launch an all-new podcast: The Student Debt Relief Series.

The first episode, “How to Figure Out if You Benefit from the College Cost Reduction & Access Act - and How Much?� is available now. Listen to the episode (below) or visit the main page to stream, download or subscribe to the series. You can also download the corresponding Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Employment Checklist.

Student Debt Relief Series: Episode One

Running time: 20 min.

(From the Equal Justice Works Blog)

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 5:30 PM | Permalink

From the NALP Public Service Section

National Disaster Legal Aid Website
www.disasterlegalaid.org

The new National Disaster Legal Aid www.disasterlegalaid.org website serves as a national clearinghouse for legal information and resources to persons affected by disasters, legal aid lawyers providing representation, and volunteer attorneys wishing to assist others.

The goals of this new permanent disaster website are to:

1) Serve as a centralized national resource for legal aid and pro bono attorneys across the country on legal issues related to all types of disasters;

2) Recruit and help mobilize pro bono attorneys in the aftermath of a disaster, and

3) Provide accurate and timely information on legal issues, related to disasters, to the low income public affected by disasters.

More click below for the rest of this posting.

Continue reading "Four Organizations Launch Online Resource for Victims of Disasters, Legal Aid Lawyers, and Volunteers" »

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 5:54 PM | Permalink

Check out this Washington Post article regarding public service careers and debt:

Options for Reducing Student Loan Debt for Those Choosing Public Service Careers

Extract: "The good news is that in 2007, Congress recognized that there were so many students [interested]... it passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. There were two programs established by this act that [students] should look into, two advisers I contacted said.

The first is the income-based repayment plan, which allows lower-income graduates with a lot of debt to reduce their monthly payments. Depending on a graduate's income and level of debt, the program, which goes into effect July 1, could limit his or her annual educational loan debt repayment to 15 percent of discretionary income, said Peter Mazareas, vice chairman of the College Savings Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy association.

The second is the public service loan forgiveness plan, in which the federal government will forgive the remaining debt of borrowers who make 120 loan payments while working full time in public-service jobs. The graduate must have a Federal Direct Stafford, PLUS, graduate PLUS or Federal Direct Consolidation loan."

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 10:35 AM | Permalink

Have you looked at opportunities at the U.S. Department of State? Check out their site: http://careers.state.gov to learn more.

"Students of all levels will find that the U.S. Department of State is a rewarding place to acquire skills that will last a lifetime. We have a variety of programs, from summer clerical positions to management fellowships, all of which allow students from high school to the post-graduate level the ability to participate in projects vital to the success of U.S. foreign policy. Overseas or in Washington D.C., there's a student program that matches your background and will help you to achieve your goals." From their student's page.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 3:03 PM | Permalink

Is Public Interest Law Right for You?

By Jennifer Wimberly, program associate at the Florida Bar Foundation in Orlando, Florida.

"If you went to law school because you wanted to “help people� when you graduated, there’s a good chance that public interest law is the right career choice for you. However, there are several important points to consider before you accept a public interest job.

How comfortable are you with regular client contact? More importantly, how comfortable are you with having regular contact with low-income clients? Most public interest law clients have incomes at or below the Federal Poverty Level. For 2007 that meant a single mother with two children had a total monthly income of $1430.

If you are interested in legislative or policy work and you are not interested in hands-on client work and litigation, you need to find out exactly what your duties will be before you accept a public interest law job. Look for a job where you will be regularly conducting research and writing memos on public policy issues. Otherwise you may find yourself miserable in a job where you must regularly meet with indigent clients and maintain an active litigation caseload." The entire article is located at http://www.abanet.org/yld/tyl/sept08/wimberly.html

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 3:02 PM | Permalink

Just in case you missed this announcement. Here is news of the PSLawNet's improved website.

"We are writing to inform you that a new version of PSLawNet launched in July. It contains several upgrades for public interest job seekers, including enhanced search functionalities and the ability to flag and store job postings that interest you. The new PSLawNet also contains a greatly expanded career resource library with sample resumes/cover letters, information on an array of public interest career paths, and much more."

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 1:23 PM | Permalink

Late last June I had the opportunity to attend the US Army Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps Career Services Conference in Washington D.C. We had a packed agenda and learned a lot. Here are some of the topics that were covered:

* Professional & Personal Rewards of Service with the JAG
* Life of a New Army Judge Advocate
* An Overview of Practicing Law in the Military
* Application Process
* Overview of International and Operational Law Practice in the Army JAG
* Career Progression

We have a binder of print material from the conference in our office. Also, visit Army JAG for more information.

A JAG representative will be visiting the Law School this fall.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:53 AM | Permalink

Last fall, President Bush signed federal legislation dramatically altering the federal student loan program to make it much easer for students with an interest in public service to pursue their career goals. The College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA) altered the kinds of loan repayment options available to graduates with federal loans and provided for a loan forgiveness option for graduates who engage in public service for a ten year period.

Because the legislation is complex, how it will affect your specific circumstance should be the topic of discussion with your financial aid office representative, particularly if you are a graduating student this spring. Equal Justice Works has created a helpful, one-stop resource page on its website:

http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/resource/ccraa

The EJW page provides helpful analysis, the full text of the legislation and links to useful resources. Graduates and recent alumni will want to spend some time exploring how the CCRA can enable them to engage in a public service career.

Posted by Steven Marchese at 12:34 PM | Permalink

Making the choice to use your law degree for less traditional reasons requires you to be both strategic and thoughtful about your skills and abilities. Many law students express interest in working in the non-profit sector, either because they see such organizations as places where it is possible to be involved in public service and social change or where the expectations are less driven by bottom-line financial success. However, it is not always apparent to employers in non-profit organizations, particularly non-legal related ones, why a person with a JD degree would be a good match for their needs. This makes it incumbent on the candidate to help explain the connection between his or her background and the work of the non-profit entitiy.

A recent New York Times article provides some helpful advice for non-profit job seekers, "Your True Calling Could Suit a Non-Profit". The article can be found at the following (registration required):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/jobs/06career.html?ref=jobs

While not specifically addressed to lawyers or law students, I think it presents a good overview of how/why candidates can make the transition to this sector and some successful strategies to use. There are additional resources in print, including "What Can You Do With a Law Degree" and other texts. More information can be found on the NALP website at the following:

http://nalp.org/resources

Posted by Steven Marchese at 10:40 AM | Permalink

The Partnership for Public Service (PPS) has compiled a report outlining the compelling need for Federal hiring driven by the fact tht half of all federal employees will be eligible to retire during the next ten years.

Federal Human Capital: The Perfect Storm. is a summary and analysis of federal human capital issues and needs as expressed by Chief Human Capital Officers across government.

This 28-page report may be downloaded from the PPS site. A paper copy is available in the CPDC.

Posted by Susan Gainen at 7:35 AM | Permalink

Although private sector employer hiring seems to dominate this time of year, it is important to also keep track of opportunities to connect with employers in the public sector. Federal agencies present law students and recent graduates with fertile ground for employment. (Indeed, not surprisingly, it is the largest legal employer in the nation.) Although many of these opportunities are located in the Washington, DC area, there are also plenty of openings throughout other parts of the country.

NALP just recently updated its Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide for 2007-8. This resource is available as a free PDF download and is chock full of helpful tips, ideas and leads. You may find the document at the following link:

http://www.pslawnet.org/uploads/2008-2009_FLEOG_FINAL_PDF.pdf

In addition, the Law School subscribes to the University of Arizona Government Honors and Internship Handbook, which is updated continuously throughout the year. This is the definitive resource for finding information, including hiring contacts and application requirements, about both federal and state legal hiring programs for both summer and post-graduate employment. If you are interested in accessing the Arizona Guide, please e-mail our office at cpdc@umn.edu

Finally, for those interested in non-legal employment with the federal government, the Presidential Management Fellows program offers students who will be graduating this academic year the opportunity to be hired with one of dozens of federal agencies in what would normally be civil service positions. Although these are not practice positions, many agencies actively seek out law graduates. (Please note there is both a nomination and assessment process.) For full information, please see the following link:

https://www.pmf.opm.gov/

Posted by Steven Marchese at 4:43 PM | Permalink

VOCABULARY:

1. JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP The post-JD job with the judge is a Judicial Clerkship. You apply for federal and most state trial court clerkships in your third year, and for some state appellate clerkships in spring of second year. There is virtually unanimous agreement among lawyers who have had clerkships that their clerkships were the best jobs of their careers.

2. JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP The while-you're-in-school gig with a judge is, in U of MN vocabulary, a Judicial Externship. You may do an externship for free (arrange it yourself) or for either two or three credits in the summer or during the school year.

While virtually everyone loves an externship, the students who do them in the summer, when they can spend either two or three whole days each week in chambers, love them even more -- because they can feel as if they are part of the chamber, instead of dropping by between classes.

Prof. Chomsky arranges externships in the Metro Area for students who register for summer school (and during the school year). If you want to extern for credit outside of the Metro, or if you have a "Family Friend or Mentor Judge" who will agree to host you, see Prof. Chomsky's so that you can get the paperwork describing the judge's responsibilities. You will want to make sure that the judge has the document before making the decision to accept you.

Click here for more information on judicial externships.

Posted by Susan Gainen at 9:32 AM | Permalink

PSLawNet, NALP's Public Service Law Network Worldwide, is a network of over 170 law schools and more than 11,000 law-related public interest organizations in the U.S. and around the world.

Through its online database, PSLawNet provides a comprehensive clearinghouse of public interest organizations and opportunities for lawyers and law students. Users can perform customized searches of public interest opportunities around the world, ranging from short-term volunteer and paid internships to full-time jobs, fellowships and pro bono opportunities.

PSLawNet facilitates a sharing of public interest resources and expertise by:

* Sponsoring the NALP/PSLawNet Public Service Mini Conference, an educational meeting for law school public interest advisors
* Appearing on and initiating a variety of panels and programs on public interest issues at other conferences nationwide
* Presenting annual Pro Bono Publico awards to formally recognize law students for outstanding pro bono commitment
* Publishing an annual edition of The Comprehensive Fellowship Guide - The Ultimate Resource for Lawyers and Law Students, containing the most extensive information available on post-graduate fellowships
* Providing information on a wide variety of public interest events, job fairs, and other resources through links on our website.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 8:52 AM | Permalink

Many students express interest in working for the public sector. Perhaps it's the sense of satisfaction that comes with working on behalf of the public good. Or the impression that the lifestyle is more liveable. Or a substantive interest in an area of practice heavily regulated by the government (for example, corporate law and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)).

There are many excellent reasons to consider working for the federal government. To get a broad overview, I recommend starting with the 2006-2007 NALP Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide. A copy of the guide can be obtained here (It's a long document, so be prepared to read on-line.) The Guide provides helpful information about the range of practice opportunities, career paths and strategies for getting a legal job with the federal government.

Another often overlooked program for law students is the Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF). This program enables fellows to work for executive agencies in the federal government at largely non-practice positions. Many of these positions do involve law, but usually as it relates to policy, legislation and regulatory administration. Law students are often sought after by employers in this program, a welcome change from other competitiive legal hiring environments. (Oh, yeah, that OCI thing.) For more information on the PMF, got to the following link:

https://www.pmf.opm.gov/index.aspx

Posted by Steven Marchese at 10:58 AM | Permalink