Public Works

Equal Justice Works Loan Forgiveness Webinar

by YARED GETACHEW

On Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at 12:00PM, Heather Jarvis, Equal Justice Works' Senior Program Manager, will offer a free webinar that explains the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.  The presentation will be extremely helpful to students and graduates interested in learning about Income-Based Repayment (IBR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Registration is required to join the event: here.

Heather Jarvis is a leading national expert on public service loan forgiveness. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the ABA Section of Legal Education’s Committee on Government Relations and Student Financial Aid.

Past webinars are available on EJW's site (here and here); however, the live webinar will allow you to ask questions during and after the presentation.  I also suspect Heather will touch on the president's recent proposal to improve IBR.

2010 Conference on Public Service & the Law

by YARED GETACHEW

Founded by law students at the University of Virginia School of Law in 1999, the Conference on Public Service and the Law brings together students, faculty, attorneys, and policymakers to explore a variety of issues facing today's legal communities as well as career paths for young attorneys. Past conferences have drawn hundreds of law students and panelists from across the nation.

This year's conference theme is "Beyond these Walls" and features keynote speaker California Secretary of State Debra Bowen '79.  Clarence M. Dunnaville, Jr., a Richmond, Virginia, lawyer and a civil rights attorney in the 1960s will deliver the opening address at 6:00PM today. The conference also showcases a diverse group of speakers and workshops that will undoubtedly provide the Law School community exposure to a wide array of issues and opportunities in public interest law. 

I use this opportunity to commend this year's organizing co-chairs 3L Corrie Sirkin and 2L Alexandra Morgan, and the Conference's Board Members and Panel/Workshop Organizers for putting together what promises to be an exciting conference.

The event is free and open to the public (registration is encouraged but is not required).  Additional information, including a full schedule is available on the Conference website and the Law School's announcement. We encourage all students, especially those considering internship and/or permanent opportunities in public service, to try to attend as many events as possible.

National Security Lawyers

by YARED GETACHEW

There has been a significant increase in national security law positions since 9/11.  Blending various disciplines, including public international law, human rights, international humanitarian law, and constitutional law (see Professor John Norton Moore's National Security Law course), national security law offers a wide range of career opportunities for lawyers with government agencies, congressional offices, non-governmental organizations, defense contractors, as well as law firms

A good place to start: In 2008, the American Bar Association released Careers in National Security Law (First Edition), which includes practical information on job tracks, current career resources, and job-seeking strategies, as well as information on the new national security paradigm in this country. For those seeking to enter the field in either the short or long-term, this context is vitally important. Since the field is complex and ever-evolving, the ABA guide is a remarkably helpful starting point for all job seekers. A hardcopy is also on file at the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center.

Continue reading after the jump

Public Service Interview Week - Snow Updates for the Week of February 8

by YARED GETACHEW

Friday, February 12, 2010

4:30PM: At this time, all employers have confirmed their attendance for tomorrow's interviews (2/12): (1) Chesterfield County Attorney's Office; (2) Community Legal Services, Inc. (via telephone); (3) Fredericksburg Public Defender's Office; (4) JustChildren; (5) National Nuclear Security Administration; (6) New York Legal Assistance Group; (7) Supreme Court of Virginia, Office of the Chief Staff Attorney; (8) Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression; and (9) Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center.

Public Service Interview Week - [snow] Update No. 5

UPDATE: 9:18 PM: Interviews with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office are postponed to Thursday, February 11. 

Thanks to the tireless work of the Virginia Department of Transportation and local snow removal efforts, three employers who had previously canceled their interviews on Monday have decided to attend. As it stands, we are expecting the following employers to be on grounds tomorrow: (1) Advocates for Children's Services (Durham); (2) United States Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission; (3) Legal Aid Justice Center, Immigrant Advocacy Program; and (4) Albemarle County Attorney's Office.

Continue reading update No. 5 after the jump (student cancellations, attire, etc.)

Public Service Interview Week - [snow] Update No. 4

by YARED GETACHEW

Employers traveling from considerable distances, including the Washington, D.C. area, Philadelphia, and Durham, have decided to reschedule their interviews. They have informed us that they will either reschedule their interviews to another day during Public Service Interview Week, or for the following week (February 15-19).

Acing Public Service/Interest Interviews

by YARED GETACHEW

First years participating in the public service mock interviews on Tuesday, February 2 (this afternoon) and Thursday, February 4, should send to the Public Service Center all application documents that they submitted to the employers for which they will do a mock interview.  Students should dress formally. Please expect a spirited conversation with me, Amanda Yale, Andrew Broaddus, and our formidable student assistant, Erin Crowgey. Various resources on the Public Service Center's Employment Resources page are helpful for your preparation (and subsequent interviews): How to Get a Job in a Prosecutor Office, Public Defender's Office, Legal Services, and Interviewing with Public Service Employers.

On Thursday, February 4, at 3:45pm, in SL258, we will have an information session on how to ace interviews with public service/interest employers.

Sara Wood is a 2010 Equal Justice Works Fellow

by YARED GETACHEW

The Law School thanks Equal Justice Works for extending a 2010 EJW Fellowship to third year Sara Wood. Sara will help supervise MFY Legal Services' kinship caregiver project in New York City. To read more about Sara's EJW fellowship please see the lead story on the Law School's website today.

Launched in 1992 to address the shortage of attorneys working on behalf of traditionally under-served populations, the two-year fellowship - the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the nation - provides financial and technical support to lawyers working on innovative and effective projects.  (More on the EJW Fellowship here; for a state-by-state roster of current EJW fellows and members click on the interactive map above).

There are numerous resources that offer detailed information on public interest fellowships, including PSLawNet's fellowship page.  (Consider also my summary of project- and organization-based fellowships on the Public Service Center's website).  Next week, on Monday, February 8, recent Skadden and Powell Fellows will join Sara Wood and 2007 EJW Fellow Cary Brege for a presentation on project-based fellowships. All classes are welcome, including third years considering a post-judicial clerkship fellowship.