USC PILF

For tips and suggestions from Student Loan Expert Heather Jarvis, please click here.

Educational debt has become a crippling burden for far too many, and especially for those who want to pursue careers in public service. Equal Justice Works provides in depth information on loan repayment assistance programs and relief programs like Income-Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness to help everyone pursue the career of their dreams.

Click here to view a schedule of our free, live webinars that teach you how these programs work, and to register for an upcoming session.

Public Interest Fellowship Panel: Presented by PILF and CSO

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

12:20 – 1:15 pm

Room 7

Interested in applying for a public interest fellowship after graduation? Come hear from former fellows, agencies and fellowship selection committee members on what makes a great application and learn the benefits of doing a fellowship!  Lunch will be provided.

Women Lawyers’ Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) Fran Kandel Public Interest Grant

The Foundation awards the WLALA Fran Kandel Public Interest Grant (formerly known as the WLALA Foundation Public Action Grant) to law students for projects that make governmental and social institutions and agencies more accessible and responsive to members of society whose interests are not otherwise adequately recognized or asserted.  Since its incorporation in 1985, the Foundation has funded projects with a strong emphasis on public service.  Through its activities, the Foundation seeks to achieve three specific goals:

1.  Provide help to the disadvantaged by funding project that will directly benefit the under-represented in the greater Los Angeles area;

2.  Educate and expose law students to legal concerns affecting the disadvantaged in areas outside of traditional legal practices; and

3.  Encourage the legal community’s involvement in public interest law by funding students who show the capability of and commitment to assisting those in need.

Deadline to apply is March 19, 2012. For more information, please view this webpage, http://wlala.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=66.

Dan Bradley Fellowships

Each year, LAAC (the Legal Aid Association of California) invites law students working with LAAC member legal services programs during the summer to apply for the Dan Bradley Summer Fellowship Program. The goal of the Fellowship is to offer law students, particularly those from low-income or working class backgrounds, the opportunity to consider a career in legal services and other public interest law while providing legal services and other programs with a new source of dedicated and energetic staff.

Please note that the organization MUST BE a LAAC member program. Offices of Public Defenders or District Attorneys are not LAAC Member programs because they are not legal services organizations funded by IOLTA. All LAAC Member programs are located in California.

Application deadline is April 2, 2012. For a 2012 application click here.

Click here.

GOODWIN PROCTER - PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWSHIPS FOR LAW STUDENTS OF COLOR

For the past six years, Goodwin has invested in a diverse legal community by offering fellowships to high-achieving law students of color. This year, we will again offer awards of $7,500 to students of color who work in public interest positions the summer after their first year of law school. This program allows us to connect with a wide array of talented students early in their legal careers who are committed to giving back to their communities.

In addition to the monetary fellowship award, selected fellows are guaranteed a “straight-to-callback” interview with the Goodwin Procter office of their choice in the fall interview season during their second year of law school. Fellows will also be invited to participate in some of our summer associate program events during their summer at the public interest organization.

For additional information on the Fellowships, please click here.

The Institute for Justice is now accepting applications for 2012 Law Student Conference.  IJ’s annual law student conference is open to first and second year law students will be held Friday, June 22 to Sunday, June 24, 2012 at the George Washington University in downtown Washington, DC.

Founded in 1991, the Institute for Justice engages in cutting-edge litigation and advocacy both in the court of law and in the court of public opinion on behalf of individuals whose most basic rights are denied by the government-like the right to earn and honest living, private property rights, the right to free speech and educational choice.

Law students interested in applying for the annual law student conference can find the online application at www.ij.org/students.  The application deadline is Thursday, March 1, 2012.

Click here for more information.

TRAINING: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012, 6-9 PM

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) operates a domestic violence clinic in the Santa Monica courthouse every weekday morning (except court holidays).  Volunteer law students assist victims of domestic violence to receive Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) against their abusers.  LAFLA staff attorneys and volunteers also assist many of the clients with their other family law issues stemming from the abusive relationship.

Volunteer law students must attend the training and commit to volunteering at one morning clinic each week through the semester.  The clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., but volunteers are expected to stay until all registered clients are seen, occasionally as late as 1:30 p.m.  Parking at the courthouse is free for volunteers.

To register for the training, please contact Clara Reyes at (323) 801-7969 or creyes@lafla.org.

Training for new volunteers:

Wednesday, January 25, 2012, from 6 PM. to 9 PM. at the Santa Monica Office, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, 1640 5^th Street, Santa Monica 90401. Registration begins at 5:30 PM. Street parking is available on 5^th Street. Pizza, soda and manual provided.

Volunteer slots may be limited.

Inner City Law Center has eight positions available for spring clerk interns in the Slum Housing Litigation, Public Policy, Eviction Defense, Homeless Veterans Benefits, and Social Benefits Advocacy departments. The clerks may be current law students, or recently graduated law students.  Below is a description of our office and the positions, we ask that interested applicants email their resume and cover letter to JDasteel@innercitylaw.org with the subject line “Spring Clerkship Position” no later than January 20, 2012.

Inner City Law Center Volunteer Program

The only full-time provider of legal services headquartered on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, Inner City Law Center combats slum housing and develops strategies to end homelessness.

ICLC is recognized for its expertise in housing issues, homelessness prevention, and veterans’ benefits. Our staff of 40 provides quality legal representation for people who have nowhere else to turn.  We fight for justice for low-income individuals, working poor families, immigrants, people who are homeless or disabled, and veterans.

Driven by the fundamental principle that every person should always be treated with dignity and respect, we cannot:

•          Tolerate slum housing conditions.
•          Allow our veterans to live on the streets.
•          Look away when families are evicted into homelessness.

At ICLC, we reject the status quo.  We know that by working together we can achieve long-term, positive and meaningful change.  With your help and generous support, we will continue to:

•          Create safe, healthy and affordable housing.
•          Help homeless veterans get off the streets.
•          Prevent families from being evicted into homelessness.

Inner City Law Center:  Ending homelessness every day.

The following ICLC projects are currently recruiting law clerks for spring clerkship positions:

•          Slum Housing Litigation
•          Homelessness Prevention Project
•          Homeless Veterans Project
•          Social Benefits Advocacy
•          Public Policy Project

Clerkship Positions

ICLC recruits students and volunteers for law clerk positions during the academic year and the summer.  Law students gain extensive experience doing legal research and writing, client interviews, negotiations, public policy work, and advocacy.  A clerk at ICLC will gain practical experience in their own project and opportunities to learn about ICLC’s other projects through trainings, excursions and short assignments. For more information about our services and practice areas see our websitewww.innercitylaw.org.

How to Apply

Volunteers interested in clerking with ICLC should send a cover letter and resume toJDasteel@innercitylaw.org, subject line: “Spring Clerkship Position” no later than January 20, 2012. Applicants should indicate in their cover letter if they have a particular practice area preference.  Spring Applicants will begin volunteering no later than February 10th, and complete their clerkship no earlier than April 20th. We require a minimum of a 10 week commitment at minimum of 8 hours per week of volunteer service in the office.