New England Law | Boston

Return to the New England Law | Boston home page.
Center for Law and Social Responsibility
New England Law Opportunities
Center for Law and Social Responsibility Environmental Advocacy Project Criminal Justice Project Education Law Project Immigration Law Project Public Service Project Women's and Children's Advocacy Project Student International Experiences

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, May 25, 2011

Equal Justice Works Summer Corps

Congratulations to Han Fang, Benjamin Jones, and Kristen Colburn who are this year’s Equal Justice Works Summer Corps members! The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program affords law students the opportunity to work in a nonprofit public interest organization, where they work with low-income clients in order to expand the delivery of legal services to a vulnerable population.

Han Fang:
Han will be a legal intern at the Asian Outreach Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services. As an intern Han will conduct in-takes and provide educational services in various settings around Boston, such as the Chinese Progressive Association and the South Cove Community Health Center. Han will conduct interviews, perform research, write briefs and will also participate in educational services regarding accessible legal services.

The Asian Outreach Unit is an extremely vital source in providing legal aid to those who might not normally be able to afford an attorney, or access one due to cultural and language barriers. The staff and interns are culturally adept and speak several different Asian languages, making access for community members feasible. AOU serves as a bridge for many clients who might else have no where to turn. AOU's primary client base are low-income, immigrant Asian and Asian American communities in the Greater Boston area.

Benjamin Jones:
Benjamin will be working for Shelter Legal Services in their office in Newton and in shelters around Greater Boston.

As a Summer Intern, Benjamin will be interacting with indigent clients at a series of shelters around Boston; there will be weekly visits to homeless shelters, veterans' shelters, and a women's shelter. As a part of working with these clients, he will carry his own case load, research legal issues, and confer with attorneys. The clientele of Shelter Legal Services are indigent veterans, homeless, and women. In reaching these groups, the aim is to have those with the greatest need gain the basic legal aid they deserve.

Kristen Colburn
Kristen will be an intern at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic at Greater Boston Legal Services. She will prepare applications for asylum, conduct legal research and research into country conditions, and interview clients. Kristen will meet people who are suffering from international human rights violations.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Research Assistance Sought

Professor Siegel is seeking research assistance this summer on projects related to criminal justice and mental health, involving mix of legal, factual and empirical research. Strong research and writing abilities required; familiarity with mental health issues and/or statistical analysis useful. Please email a brief description of interest, resume, writing sample (five pages maximum) and transcript to dsiegel@nesl.edu.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Job Opportunity: New York Lawyers For The Public Interest

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), a non-profit civil rights legal organization. NYLPI pioneered the practice of community lawyering in the five boroughs of New York City. With every case and every campaign, NYLPI continues to elaborate an approach to working with marginalized communities that is ambitious, participatory, and dynamic.

NYLPI activism focuses on issues of racial equality and disability rights. In NYLPI's health justice program, a community organizer and a team of attorneys represent and provide support to community-based organizations mobilizing to rid the New York health care system of racism, language barriers and anti-immigrant bias. The disability rights work focuses on defending and promoting the civil rights of people with disabilities in transportation, education, health care, and other aspects of life in New York City, as well as ensuring that people with disabilities are able to live with independence and dignity in the community and not restricted to institutional settings. In their environmental justice project, NYLPI takes on issues ranging from the overburdening of low-income communities of color with garbage facilities, to the presence of dangerous toxins in public schools, to the development of a green energy policy that places social equality front and center. Finally, NYLPI’s renowned Pro Bono Clearinghouse connects community organizations throughout NYC with pro bono attorneys from the City’s largest law firms.

NYLPI is currently seeking applications for:
  • Staff attorney -- Disability Rights
  • Staff attorney -- Health Justice
  • Staff attorney -- Education and Disability Rights
  • Staff attorney -- Environmental Justice
  • 2012 post-graduate fellowship
Please visit CSO's Symplicity site for application details and requirements.

Job Opportunity: Seton Hall School of Law, Center for Social Justice

The Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall University School of Law, located in Newark, New Jersey, is pleased to announce the job openings listed below. The Center is home to eight clinics, as well as the International Human Rights/Rule of Law Initiative, the Urban Revitalization Initiative, and a large pro bono program. The clinics focus on the following areas: constitutional and civil rights, education, equal justice, family law, immigration and human rights, impact litigation, juvenile justice, and predatory lending and foreclosure.

Practitioner-in-Residence: International Human Rights/Rule of Law Project
Seton Hall University School of Law is seeking applications for a Practitioner-in-Residence for the International Human Rights/Rule of Law Project within its Center for Social Justice from July 2011 to July 2012 with the expectation of renewal of the position for one additional year, dependent on grant funding and performance.

The Practitioner-in-Residence will work in collaboration with faculty in at least three sections of the Center for Social Justice: the Civil Rights and Constitutional Litigation Clinic; the Equal Justice Clinic; and the Immigrants’ Rights/International Human Rights Clinic. The Civil Rights and Constitutional Litigation Clinic docket includes civil actions on behalf of victims of human trafficking, challenges to immigration raids and local enforcement of immigration laws, challenges to various aspects of the “war on terror,” and First Amendment litigation. The Equal Justice Clinic docket includes a variety of cases involving civil and human rights with a primary focus on the rights of immigrants, women, and other historically vulnerable groups. The Immigrants’ Rights/International Human Rights Clinic focuses on representation in claims arising under the Refugee and Torture Conventions, the Violence Against Women Act, Trafficking Victim Protection Act, human rights complaints before international tribunals, and field work on human rights and comparative refugee law issues.

Practitioner-in-Residence: Urban Revitalization Project
Seton Hall University School of Law is seeking applications for a Practitioner-in-Residence for the Urban Revitalization Project within its Center for Social Justice from July 2011 to July 2012 with the expectation of renewal of the position for one additional year, dependent on grant funding and performance.

The Practitioner-in-Residence will take a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing issues of urban revitalization, with an emphasis on housing and education, and will work in collaboration with faculty in two sections of the Civil Litigation Clinic of the Center for Social Justice, led by Professors Linda Fisher and Shavar Jeffries. The Civil Litigation Clinic represents clients in cases addressing foreclosure scams, housing discrimination, and public education reform. Examples of cases/projects undertaken by the Project include representing homeowners against foreclosure rescue scams, representing tenants in a housing conditions case for appointment of a rent receiver to manage their building, challenges to municipalities’ affordable housing plans, and advocacy for an equal education for all children in New Jersey. The Practitioner-in-Residence litigates cases, undertakes community education, and generally advocates on urban issues.


For application details, please visit the CSO Symplicity site.

Associate Program Associate Program Officer - Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Title: Associate Program officer (JPO)
Sector: Program
Location: Goma , Dem. Rep. of Congo
Duration of the assignment: One year

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the Supervision of the Senior Program Officer and in close collaboration with colleagues in the Program Unit, the Junior Professional Officer will be responsible for the following:
  • Participates in all planning processes including internal planning with the COP process making use of available guiding documents (RBM, focus, GNA, etc.) , and external within the Humanitarian Action Plan.
  • Actively participates in fundraising with the preparation of project proposals to be submitted to Donors in line with UNHCR and Donor requirements particularly in with regards to local funding opportunities available (Pooled fund, CERF, STAREC, etc.).
  • Liaise with Regional Office/HQ for appropriate registration of approved contributions and ascertain coherence with agreements with partners.
  • Discuss with relevant partners and prepare sub agreements according to agreed priorities and existing resources.
  • Facilitate the training of national partners, in UNHCR programming procedures, especially in the framework of transition.
  • In the context of the Humanitarian reform, actively represent UNHCR in relevant cluster meetings, (particularly NFI/Shelter, WATSAN cluster meetings), as well as other fora where UNHCR Program unit is required, such as the Stabilization Working Group.
  • In close collaboration with relevant units, prepare/constantly review the plan for NFIs required for the operation, the timely delivery in accordance with the logistical capacity, distribution monitoring, and ascertain the necessary justification documentation and reports are available.
  • Prepare reports and other relevant documents required by Office, the Regional Office in Kinshasa and HQ, for both North Kivu and Oriental Province.
  • Assist with audit preparation in collaboration with the Project Control Unit by providing relevant documents required by auditors.
  • Organize meetings with partners to discuss implementation strategy issues, problems experienced, and provide adequate support for improvement.
  • Undertake field missions to ascertain that progress on activities are being accomplished according to agreed standard and time, and report any problem met to the Program Unit.
  • Constantly liaise with colleagues in the field to monitor problems met and provide adequate and timely guidance on finding appropriate solutions.
  • Train staff of other unit in Program related issues, both in Goma, Bunia and in the Field units including Masisi, Kitchanga, Lubero, Beni.
  • Provide specific inputs on program design, implementation and monitoring tools.
  • Perform all other duties required by Management.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
Qualifications: University degree in Business Administration, Law, Economics, Political Science or related field. BA and 4 years of work experience or MA and 2 years of work experience.

TRAINING COMPONENTS AND LEARNING ELEMENTS:
Learning will be structured through:
  • On-the-job training while the incumbent carries out specific functions at the Sub-Office
  • Field exposure while the incumbent visits the IDP operations
  • Briefings from supervisors and colleagues
  • Attending meetings, workshops and seminars on refugee/IDP issues and program/operations management
  • Attending external training courses if possible

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Organizational structure of UNHCR in DRC: UNHCR has 16 offices in the country, including a regional representation in Kinshasa, three sub-offices in the east and 12 field offices across the country, with a total staff of 342 people.

UNHCR is engaged in protecting and finding solutions to some 150,000 refugees hosted by DRC, in facilitating the return and reintegration of Congolese returnees repatriating from neighbouring countries and plays a major role in the protection, assistance and supporting solutions for IDPs, particularly in North Kivu, where large scale internal displacement have occurred since 2007.

As lead of the cluster protection, UNHCR plays an important role in advocating for the respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law especially for the IDPs in the Eastern Provinces. UNHCR assists the displaced in crisis through the distribution of food-and non food items as well as the amelioration of their physical security in coordination with military authorities. Since October 2007, with the official adoption of the camp coordination and camp management mechanism in North Kivu, UNHCR has taken over the overall coordination of IDP sites (16 sites with a population of about 100,000 people).

For additional details and application requirements, please visit the CSO Symplicity site.

Audrey Irmas Clinical Teaching Fellow

USC Gould School of Law is seeking applications for the Audrey Irmas Clinical Teaching Fellowship. This is a newly created two-year fellowship. Candidates should have two to five years practice experience, experience or interest in advocating on behalf of women and children, and an interest in pursuing a career in law school clinical teaching. The salary range is $60,000 to $75,000 per year, plus USC benefits. The two year fellowship will begin in the summer of 2011.

The Irmas Clinical Teaching Fellowship will offer opportunities for clinical teaching in one or more clinical programs, including the Immigration Clinic, the International Human Rights Clinic, or the Post-Conviction Justice Project. The Irmas Clinical Teaching Fellow will work under the supervision of the clinical faculty members who teach and direct those Clinics and will concentrate on cases or projects involving or affecting the rights of women and children. To learn more about the USC Clinics, please visit their website

Duties will include:
* Intensive supervision of clinical and summer students;
* Co-teaching portions of the linked clinical seminar(s);
* Curriculum development;
* Individual case or project work; and
* Organizing occasional programmatic events.

Requirements for candidates:
* Demonstrated interest in the rights of women and children;
* Experience with one or more of the following areas is desirable: immigration law, international human rights, criminal law
* Excellent academic record;
* Two to five years of practice experience;
* Admission to a State bar (admission to the California Bar is required for candidates who
want to work in the Post-Conviction Justice Project);
* Excellent analytical and writing skills;
* Aptitude for student supervision;
* Prior teaching experience is a plus; and
* Bilingual ability in Spanish or another language(s) is desirable.

For additional details and application requirements, please visit CSO's Symplicity site.

UNHCR Law Grad Position

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is seeking a Protection Associate for its Regional Representation in Washington, D.C.

DUTIES:
1. Provide counseling to asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons in the US, particularly those in detention facilities, on the US immigration/asylum system and related laws. Provide written information and self-help materials on the asylum process to asylum seekers in the US, as well as contact information for NGOs who provide services to asylum seekers in the US. Draft correspondence to asylum seekers contacting the office for assistance.
2. Respond to attorney requests on individual cases, including liaison with other UNHCR offices to obtain information about prior registration of asylum seekers in third countries, etc.
3. Track systemic issues of concern to asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons in the United States, particularly related to detention and removal. Maintain contact and information exchange with NGOs who provide assistance to asylum seekers.
4. Inform and act upon reports received from asylum seekers, their legal representatives or NGOs on individual cases or systemic issues of concern.
5. Follow up on asylum and statelessness protection issues with authorities concerned, including in individual cases;
6. Provide support on advocacy related to detention of asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons and related to other protection issues;
7. Provide support to drafting of amicus legal briefs on protection issues of wide concern;
8. Compile monthly statistics of asylum applications and respons to statistical requests
9. Perform other duties as required.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
Secondary education plus Post-secondary certificate/training in International Law, Political Science or related field; 6 years job experience in related field. Fluency in English, Proficiency in Spanish or French. Good communication skills, knowledge of computer applications and knowledge of US immigration and asylum law, policies and procedures.

For additional details and application requirements, please visit CSO's Symplicity.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Fair Lending Compliance Associate/Counsel

Description
Relman, Dane & Colfax, a civil rights law firm, is accepting applications for a fair lending compliance associate/counsel position in its Washington, D.C., office.

OVERVIEW
Relman, Dane & Colfax litigates fair housing, fair lending, public accommodations, police accountability, and employment discrimination cases. Our national practice
includes individual and class action lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs who have suffered discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, disability, age, familial status, source of income, and sexual orientation.

The Firm also provides legal counsel to progressive companies that demonstrate a commitment to best practices in the way they conduct business. Such counsel includes representation of financial institutions in reporting to their regulators on fair lending and fair servicing issues. We conduct investigations and provide counselling regarding consumer protection, privacy, lending, employment, whistleblower, and federal regulatory matters. Our practice also includes analysis and strategy regarding public policy issues and proposed legislation affecting civil rights.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The associate/counsel will counsel financial institutions on compliance with fair lending and consumer protection laws. Responsibilities associated with the position include
managing compliance matters, interacting with institutional clients, analyzing client data, working with statistical experts, preparing presentations to regulators, and coordinating firm resources for the compliance practice. The level of responsibility will depend upon the experience of the applicant.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
The firm especially seeks applicants with fair lending litigation or compliance experience. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to civil rights enforcement, strong academic credentials, superior research, writing, and verbal skills, and client management
experience. A background in statistics or experience with the use of statistics in discrimination cases is preferred.

COMPENSATION
Relman, Dane & Colfax offers a generous compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the Firm’s compensation
scale.

HOW TO APPLY
Please visit CSO's Symplicity for further details