Public Works

Public Interest Perspectives: An Introductory Training for Private Attorneys in Public Interest Placements

On September 9, 2009 at 1:00 pm, The Association of Pro Bono Counsel and NALP will offer a two-hour online training session designed for attorneys beginning volunteer public interest placements.  The training  session will contain an overview of the differences in law firm and nonprofit practice settings, insight on working with low-income clients, and background on the economic challenges presently being confronted by the public interest community. Presentations will be made by public interest leaders from the legal aid community and the private bar.  Immediately following the training session, a discussion on issues relevant to fellowships will take place.

LexisNexis Associates Serving Public Interests Research (ASPIRE) Program

Through the ASPIRE program, 2009 graduates who are currently working in the public interest can receive free  LexisNexis access for the coming year. Among those eligible are deferred associates pursuing public interest work during their deferrals.  Some important rules include: (1) while work for a nonprofit or charitable organization is eligible, government work is not; (2) access ends September 2010 or when your public service employment ends; (3) you must submit documentation from your employer confirming your eligibility. 

Eligible applicants who are currently working will receive free access to federal and state cases, codes, regulations, and law reviews within two days of submitting documentation.  To apply, please visit Lexis's attorney deferral page here.

Law Firm Deferral: Update on Available Internships

This is an update for third-year students whose start dates have been deferred.  As of today, 333 opportunities have been posted on PSLawNet.  These include internships with the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Blue Ridge Legal Services, ACLU, Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, New York City Law Department, National Employment Law Project, National Juvenile Defender Service, Vera Institute of Justice, The Innocence Project, and Lambda Legal.

In addition, we have received a few similar opportunities from some nonprofits which we (together with the Office of Career Services) will continue to post on Symplicity.  However, we reiterate that PSLawNet is the  clearinghouse for internship positions for deferred associates. 

Law Firm Deferral: Opportunities at LAJC

The Legal Aid Justice Center seeks to host attorneys on public interest furlough or deferral to work in one of our four offices in Virginia. The positions are dependent upon your ability to secure and obtain third-party funding. Depending on individual interest and location preference, the attorney may work on one or several of various poverty law issues such as public benefits, affordable housing, employment, special education, or juvenile justice. The Legal Aid Justice Center is a nationally recognized, non-profit civil legal assistance program with offices in Charlottesville, Falls Church (Metro D.C.), Petersburg and Richmond. Our dynamic staff of more than two dozen attorneys pursue systemic legal advocacy for all low-income Virginians using a wide array of strategies. Through legal representation, community education and statewide advocacy, the Legal Aid Justice Center works both to eliminate the immediate symptoms and to address the underlying causes of poverty in Virginia. Individuals interested in working with any of our targeted programs are encouraged to apply.

Information on how to apply for the internship positions is available here: Download Public Interest Fellows edited.

Deferred Law Firm Associate Opportunities on PSLawNet

PSLawNet -- the online resource for public service careers and employers -- has created a page for students whose start dates have been deferred by law firms. Registration for Virginia Law students and graduates is free. 

PSLawNet is serving as a clearinghouse for public interest organizations to post notices about their willingness to place law firm associates.  Accordingly, PSLawNet has, as of today, listed more than 150 internship and pro bono opportunities in several states across the nation. A few of these organizations include the New York City Law Department, The Constitution Project (Washington, D.C.), National Security Archive (D.C.), Texas Appleseed, Advocates for Human Rights (Minneapolis), ACLU (San Diego, Seattle), Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (San Francisco), Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (Newark), National Center for Refugee & Immigrant Children (Charlotte and Los Angeles), National Juvenile Defender Center (Las Vegas, New Orleans, Houston), etc.

The law firm page provides links to several helpful resources including to the Association of Pro Bono Counsel's Considerations for the Placement of Law Firm Attorneys into Public Interest Organizations, a list of pro bono clearinghouses in several states, to the Pro Bono Institute, the American Bar Association, and to relevant news items.

Previous postings for deferred third years are available here (New Jersey Job Fair -- April 8, 2009), here (NYT), and here (PSLawNet). The Public Service Center remains available to assist students with their individual search for public interest and pro bono opportunities.

New Jersey Deferred Associates Job Fair April 8, 2009

On April 8, 2009 from 11:30 to 2:30 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice will hold a job fair for law school graduates whose employment at some of the top law firms in the country has been deferred for a year or more due to the economy.

The Deferred Associates Fair aims to connect deferred associates and the firms with understaffed and underfunded New Jersey public interest law organizations eager for their assistance. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the work of the organizations in attendance and participate in brief initial interviews with agencies of their choice. Deferred associates interested in attending the Fair may register at www.vljnj.org.

Please see attached flier and press release for more information.

NJ Deferred Associate Job Fair Flier

NJ Deferred Associates Job Fair Press Release

Law Firm Deferrals: How to find public service/interest internships/fellowships

Third year students whose start date at various law firms was recently postponed can search for organizations that offer volunteer internship positions on PSLawNet. 

A leading public interest law job database, PSLawNet has created a special category of job postings for deferred associates under the job type "law firm associate host."  By searching jobs in this category, you will find a variety of opportunities created specifically for deferred associates. Registration for PSLawNet is free for Virginia Law students and alumni.

Advice for attorneys seeking to volunteer at public interest organizations

An article in The New York Times --"Even Pro Bono Work Requires Doing Your Homework First" -- provides valuable advice to attorneys who seek to volunteer in the public interest.  Here's an excerpt:

One common piece of advice given to the newly laid off is to seek volunteer work until a paid job comes along. At a minimum, volunteer work will get you out of bed in the morning. And in the best case, it can both do some good and lead to future employment.

The trouble is that finding the right volunteer job can sometimes seem as difficult as obtaining a salaried position — and with only psychic, rather than financial, rewards.

Read the full article here.