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.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Staff Attorney Position with The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights

YOUNG CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN’S RIGHTS/TIDES CENTER
STAFF ATTORNEY POSITION

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights of the Tides Center is an
equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity.
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights invites applications for the position of Staff Attorney. The Young Center is dedicated to promoting the best interests—safety and well-being—of unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in the United States. The immediate focus of the Young Center’s work is to serve as Child Advocate (guardian ad litem for children in immigration proceedings) for unaccompanied and separated children pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The Young Center also conducts policy advocacy at the local and national level to promote consideration of best interests in all decisions concerning immigrant children. The Young Center is a project of the Tides Center and is an independent non-profit organization based at the University of Chicago Law School.
The Staff Attorney’s primary responsibility will be to supervise law student and community volunteers serving as Child Advocates in Chicago, Ilinois, Harlingen, Texas and other sites around the country. As part of this responsibility, the Staff Attorney will be expected to travel at least one week every two months to Harlingen, Texas and other locations; conduct trainings in Harlingen and Chicago; accompany children to immigration court, as well as state juvenile and family court; and draft best interests briefs. Additionally, the Staff Attorney will co-teach the seminar that accompanies the Young Center clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, and supervise law students in their work. Applicants must be interested in non-litigation advocacy. The Young Center is a small, non-profit; all staff are expected to participate in fundraising, grant-writing and related activities.

This is a one-year position. While this is a Staff Attorney position, the person hired cannot provide any direct legal representation. Rather, the Staff Attorney will serve as, and supervise, Child Advocates. This position has the following minimum requirements:
(1) J.D. and appropriate authorization to practice law. (2) At least two years’ experience practicing immigration law, including preparing for and representing immigrants before immigration authorities, or the substantial equivalent. (3) Experience in working with immigrant and refugee children, or experience working with survivors of abuse, human trafficking, or other trauma. (4) A strong academic background, excellent writing and oral advocacy skills, and a commitment to public interest work. (5) Proficiency in Spanish. (6) Willingness to travel and spend up to a week every two months in Harlingen, Texas and other locations. (8) Ability to take initiative and also work collaboratively. (9) Enthusiasm for working with volunteers and teaching law students. (10) Passion, tenacity and optimism for the issues affecting immigrant children and their families.

To Apply:
Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience. Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please email or fax a cover letter, resume and at least three references to:
Alexandra Laguna, Administrative Assistant: alaguna@law.uchicago.edu or 773-702-2063 (fax)

Human Rights Opportunity this Summer/ Spring Break

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid is looking for students trained in representing refugees to dedicate their summers or spring breaks to working in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa where Rwandan refugees are in critical need to legal aid. The work done will be part of the campaign to stop the invocation of the Cessation Clause for Rwandans. While the campaign has been partially successful there is still need for legal representation.

For a proposal from the Refugee Law Project that will help frame the project, please e-mail CLSR Fellow Sarah Herbert at sarah.m.herbert@nesl.edu.

Those students interested and financially able to volunteer this summer in Uganda can e-mail Namusobya Salima at snamusobya@gmail.com. Those who wish to go elsewhere to assist Rwandans may e-mail Dr. Barbara E. Harrell-Bond, the director of the Fahamu Refugee Programme at barbara.harrellbond@gmail.com.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Opportunity with the Education Law Project

CLSR’s Education Law Project is looking for a student to work on creating a policy brief that will be used to inform decision makers, the general public and press about current proposed legislation. This will be a work study and/or paid position. Interested students should send a resume, transcript and writing sample to Professor Teixeira de Sousa as soon as possible but no later than March 2, 2012. Materials can be sent via email (to MTeixeiradeSousa@nesl.edu) or dropped off on the fourth floor of Stuart Street. Students with very strong writing and research skills and who work well with deadlines are encouraged to apply. In addition, students with a marketing background or who have worked on political campaigns are strongly encouraged to apply.

Legal Internship in Environmental Law

Conservation Legal Research and Practice Internship / Volunteer
Website: http://www.lcatrust.org/
To Apply: Visit the CSO Symplicity site, Job ID 7192.

The Land Conservation and Advocacy Trust is a young non-profit seeking individuals to fulfill an important and meaningful role as we increase the public awareness of legal services program. In this position the individual will gain an understanding of the practical legal issues facing environmental- and conservation-based non-profit organizations and have a direct impact on the research and provision of legal services in diverse legal subject areas including environmental law, conservation law, real estate law, non-profit and tax exempt organization law. Depending on the time the individual can devote, and his or her skills, the individual could also provide or assist in providing direct legal services to our beneficiary organizations, assist in preparing and presenting seminars and webinars and provide research in appellate matters. Responsibilities could include: - Researching common legal issues for land trusts and other conservation-based organizations - Drafting legal memoranda and white paper analyses of legal issues - Responding to legal research based inquiries - Drafting responses to forum questions on legal issues - Drafting blog posts on legal issues - Assisting in the representation of organizations on a broad range of legal issues - Screening requests for legal services The primary responsibility will be for the research of legal issues faced by land trusts and conservation-based organizations and the preparation of legal memoranda, blog posts and short responses for forum answers with regard to those legal issues. Requirements: - A three-month commitment, at least 10 hours per week (but no maximum) - Goal driven law students or law school graduates preferably with an interest in related legal issues - Strong time-management, organizational, and legal research skills a must - Ability to effectively present complicated legal concepts to persons untrained in the law - Ability to self-motivate, stay on task and work independently Compensation: Unpaid. If applicable, experience may be used for credit. Additional: This internship is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into important and practical legal issues facing conservation organizations specifically and the not-for-profit sector more generally.

This is also a great opportunity to gain legal experience before graduation or to keep your resume current after graduation while searching for a paid legal position.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Massachusetts Bar Foundation Summer Fellowship

2012 LEGAL INTERN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Stipends of $6,000 for Summer Internships

The Massachusetts Bar Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of applications for its 2012 Legal Intern Fellowship Program. Founded in 1996, the Legal Intern Fellowship Program seeks to encourage careers in public interest law, while contributing valuable legal support to organizations serving the under-represented in Massachusetts.

Law students selected to be Legal Intern Fellows will receive a stipend of $6,000 to volunteer for ten (10) weeks during the summer months at a nonprofit organization that provides civil legal services to low-income clients in Massachusetts. Fellowship recipients may combine this award with funding from other sources to finance the internship. All current law students are eligible to apply. The internship must be conducted at a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts that has been in operation for at least one year and has programs dedicated to providing civil legal services to the indigent in Massachusetts. In addition, the organization must have a staff attorney who will supervise and mentor the intern. Applications for the Legal Intern Fellowship Program are due at the MBF’s offices by 5pm on March 16, 2012.

Detailed information about the program, including application forms, is available online at www.MassBarFoundation.org. If you have any questions regarding the Legal Intern Fellowship Program, please contact the MBF Development Office at 617-338-0647 or foundation@massbar.org.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Career Panel co-sponsored by the BBA

Government Attorney Career Panel
Co-Sponsored by the Boston Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee of the Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Section
Wednesday, February 22nd
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Moot Court Room
Speakers:
Jessica Burgess, Assistant General Counsel, MA Department of Agricultural Resources
Jay D'Avolio, Investigator, U.S. Department of Labor
Julia E. Fahey, Sr. Staff Representative - Labor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Joint Labor Management Committee
Gail E. Quinn, Deputy General Counsel, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Disabled Persons Protection Commission
*Refreshments will be served.*

Please RSVP on Symplicity

Or with the CSO: cso@nesl.edu

Center for Law and Social Responsibility Open House

The Center for Law and Social Responsibility (CLSR)

New England Law | Boston

OPEN HOUSE

When:

Wednesday, February 29th 2012 from 4-6pm. There will be short introductions for each project and then time afterwards to speak individually with those involved at the Center.

Where:

The Cherry Room

What:

Come meet the CLSR’s faculty and learn about the different public interest projects and how you can get involved! Food will be provided.

To RSVP please e-mail CLSR Fellow Sarah Herbert at sarah.m.herbert@nesl.edu

“The CLSR sponsors pro bono and public service activities through which faculty, students and alumni support socially responsible goals. The diverse nature of the CLSR's projects reflects the varied interests of its members, as well as the breadth of issues facing public service lawyers today. In keeping with this mission, the CLSR supports classroom projects, scholarship, pro bono projects and other activities that address social problems.”

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Equal Justice Works Summer Corps

Equal Justice Works Summer Corps provides law students with the chance to spend their summer working on a legal project at a qualifying nonprofit public interest organization or public defender office of their choosing. Summer Corps members expand the delivery of critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities across the country on a broad range of issue areas.

Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2012 will provide 711 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,175 education award voucher for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization.


Summer Corps will begin accepting online applications for the 2012 program beginning March 1, 2012. The deadline to apply is March 23, 2012. To learn more, and to apply, please visit the Summer Corps website.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

People's Law Conference in New Orleans

People's Law Conference in New Orleans this spring - March 23 & 24. Students may register for the conference by emailing peopleslawconference@gmail.com. Conference registration is just $25.00 and this includes meals over the two days.

Join law students from across the deep South for a two-day conference that roots the practice and study of law in social justice principles and experience. This conference will highlight the struggles of peoples and communities who are neglected and criminalized in casebooks and law classrooms, including communities of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ communities. We will learn from and grow networks with elders, youth, and fellow students who are waging justice in the streets and in the courts. We will share knowledge and strategies for supporting communities and movements as they struggle against environmental injustice, lack of access to housing and education, and oppressive policing and incarceration practices. We will think collectively about the role of law students and lawyers in social justice work, and how we can support ourselves, each other, and the people at the center of these struggles. For more information, email peopleslawconference@gmail.com. Website with more information will be posted soon.

The program features attorneys from around the south, panel presentations by law students, and keynote speaker Judy Brown from the Advancement Project. Our Friday evening program will highlight New Orleans food and culture and will include a musical performance by a local brass band.

The People's Law Conference is sponsored by the Bertha Foundation, The Gillis Long Poverty Center, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the National Lawyers Guild -- Loyola of New Orleans Chapter and Louisiana Chapter, and Loyola New Orleans BLSA.

Campaign Manager Training Event

Mass Alliance invites you to its Campaign Manager Training. The workshop will be held here in Boston and will be taught by some of the best progressive campaign operatives in Massachusetts.

What: Campaign Manager Training
When: Saturday & Sunday March 3rd & 4th, 2012 9:00-5:30 pm
Where:SEIU 1199, 150 Mt. Vernon St., Dorchester, MA 02125

This intensive, two day training introduces future campaign leaders to the theory and practice behind grassroots campaigning. Students will learn from experts in their field, exactly what it takes for a campaign to be successful.
Topics include field organizing, message development, working with the press, grassroots fundraising, and other time-tested tactics for winning campaigns.

Mass Alliance has a track record of helping candidates run successful progressive, grassroots campaigns. Their Campaign Manager Training is an excellent opportunity for students looking for full-time, paid work on campaigns to get the necessary training.

For more information feel free to contact Georgia at Mass Alliance: (617)722.4320 or georgia@massalliance.org

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Monday, February 6, 2012

University of Connecticut School of Law Writing Competition

The University of Connecticut School of Law recently had the pleasure of announcing its third annual University of Connecticut School of Law Student Legal Writing Competition, which seeks to encourage and reward original writing on legal issues facing persons affected by homelessness, mental illness, addiction or substance abuse.

The Competition is open to any student currently enrolled in an American or Canadian law school. The deadline for submission is June 1, 2012. Prizes include $750 for the first-place winner, $500 for the second-place winner, and $250 for the third-place winner. The Competition rules and intent to enter form are available online.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Opportunities with the American Constitution Society

Summer Law Clerk Position Available

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) is seeking dynamic and versatile candidates for a paid, full-time law clerk position for Summer 2012. The law clerk will work with the Department of Policy Development and Programming to promote progressive change in our legal and policy landscape. This clerkship presents a unique opportunity to work on substantive projects in a range of legal and policy issues within the ACS Issue Groups, which include Access to Justice; Criminal Justice; Economic, Workplace and Environmental Regulation; First Amendment; Separation of Powers and Federalism; Constitutional Interpretation and Change; Democracy and Voting; Equality and Liberty; and Judicial Nominations. Candidates should be current JD or LLM students who are committed to progressive issues and have great interest in advancing the mission of ACS. Strong legal research and Bluebook skills are required.

For more information on how to apply, click here.


National Law Fellow Position Available

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) seeks a talented recent law school graduate to fill an unpaid position in ACS's national headquarters. The Fellowship will begin in September 2012 and end in August 2013. The Fellow will serve as part of ACS's Department of Policy Development and Programming staff, which is led by a group of experienced attorneys who coordinate and facilitate ACS's rapidly expanding output of innovative, highly relevant legal and public policy work. He or she will work with the Department staff to implement an ambitious multi-year effort to engage scholars, practitioners, public officials, and law students in the articulation and dissemination of a progressive vision of the Constitution, law, and public policy.

The Fellow will have the opportunity to work on a range of progressive issues that are reflective of the ACS Issue Groups, which include Access to Justice; Criminal Justice; Economic, Workplace and Environmental Regulation; First Amendment; Separation of Powers and Federalism; Constitutional Interpretation and Change; Democracy and Voting; Equality and Liberty; and Judicial Nominations. The Fellow can expect to work closely with the Judicial Nominations Project, which directs national attention to the excessive vacancies in the federal judiciary.

This position may be ideal for someone who has been deferred from a law firm or is eligible to receive school or other outside funding. Candidates should have great interest in advancing the mission of ACS. Strong legal research and writing skills are required. The ideal candidate will be Bluebook proficient

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Center for Constitutional Rights Fellowships

The Center for Constitutional Rights is offering three fellowships: The Government Misconduct and Racial Justice Fellowship, International Human Rights Fellowship, and Guntanamo Global Justice Initiative Fellowship.

About the Center: The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is a non-profit legal and educational organization dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change. CCR seeks highly qualified and committed applicants to apply for a two year Fellowship as part of a newly created Social Justice Institute (SJI).

Government Misconduct and Racial Justice Fellowship:
This SJI Fellow will be part of CCR’s Government Misconduct/Racial Justice (GMRJ) legal team and work alongside a number of staff attorneys. GMRJ attorneys develop creative litigation and non-litigation advocacy projects in areas such as: racial justice; economic and social rights; the government’s criminalization of dissent; mass incarceration; immigrant justice; national security; environmental justice; gender equality and LGBTQ rights. When appropriate, CCR seeks to incorporate international law strategies alongside domestic federal and state law claims. For descriptions of representative cases that are a part of the GMRJ docket, please visit http://www.ccrjustice.org/ourcases and view cases in the areas of Surveillance and Attacks on Dissent, Criminal Justice and Mass Incarceration, Government Abuse of Power, and Racial, Gender, and Economic Justice.

International Human Rights Fellowship:
This SJI Fellow will be part of CCR’s International Human Rights (IHR) legal team and work alongside a number of staff attorneys. Specific focuses have included the integration of international human rights and humanitarian law into claims brought in U.S. courts and pressing the U.S. government and private actors to abide by international law. Substantive areas of specialization will likely include: cases and advocacy against multinational corporations and government officials for serious human rights or humanitarian law violations, international women’s rights and gender justice, and the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights. For descriptions of representative cases that are a part of the IHR docket, please see our International Law and Accountability and Corporate Human Rights Abuses work at http://www.ccrjustice.org/ourcases.

Guantanamo Global Justice Initiative Fellowship:
This SJI Fellow will be part of CCR’s Guantánamo Global Justice Initiative (GGJI) legal team and work alongside a number of staff attorneys. Since 2002, the Center for Constitutional Rights has been at the forefront in challenging extrajudicial detention, torture and abuse in Guantánamo and related domestic and international outposts of the executive branch’s “war on terror.” This Fellow will work with CCR staff to continue and broaden CCR’s efforts – through litigation and advocacy – to challenge executive branch practices premised on expansive conceptions of wartime executive authority, as well as long-standing racism and xenophobia, including indefinite and preventive detention, military commissions, targeted killings, abusive interrogations, and abusive government practices in implementing “war on terror” policies domestically. For descriptions of some representative cases that are a part of the GGJI docket, please see our Illegal Detentions and Guantánamo work at http://www.ccrjustice.org/ourcases.

To learn more and how to apply please visit http://www.ccrjustice.org/jobs.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

25th Anniversary Environmental Action Conference

When: Saturday March 3rd 2012

Where: Northeastern University, Boston MA

What: A grassroots event with over 300 citizens, activists and experts and keynote speakers Lois Gibbs and Jan Schlichtmann. There will be 20 workshops on a variety of environmental issues and skills from energy in New England to lobbying elected officials.

Costs: The costs to attend is $20 for students, with the costs covering lunch. The event will be FREE for those who sign up to volunteer before February 15th. To volunteer please email taryn@toxicsactionl.org.

For more information on the event please visit the event site.