California Senate Fellows Program - 2009-2010 Capital Fellows Programs

GOVERNMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review is Accepting Applications for the Summer (1L, 2L)

The U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review is accepting applications from 1L and 2L students for summer intern positions.  More information is available here:  http://umlawcareerblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/summer-legal-internships-with-us.html.  

Foreign Service Attorneys Wanted

Foreign Service Attorney - The United States Agency for International Development, which implements the U.S. economic and humanitarian foreign assistance program, expects to have openings for Foreign Service attorneys during the next several months (Deadline 3/31/09). For more information, including how to apply, visit: http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=74511495&aid=54998962-2719&WT.mc_n=MKT000125.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") is Seeking a General Attorney

General Attorney - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") is looking for energetic, innovative, solution-oriented professionals to help the ATF team succeed in their responsibilities to reduce violent crime and protect the public. 

The incumbent gives legal advice to the Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City Field Division and his/her staff in the administration and enforcement of the laws enforced by ATF.  (Deadline 2/25/09).  For more information, visit: http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=78914390&aid=54998962%2D2719&WT.mc_n=MKT000125&TabNum=1&rc=5.

Updates to the Government Honors Handbook Deadlines

Please be advised about the following updates to the Government Honors Handbook Internships and Programs:

• City of Chicago - Mayor's Office Fellowship Program - deadline updated - February 20, 2009 (1L, 2L, paid)
• FHA Department of Transportation - Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups ("STIPDG") - deadline established -  February 20, 2009, though offers are rolling (1L, 2L, paid)
• Office of the District Attorney, Denver, Summer Legal Internship Program - deadline now established - March 1, 2009 (2L, unpaid)
• Securities & Exchange Commission, Summer Honors Business Program - deadline now established, and other slight changes to division participants, minimum GPA, etc.:  March 15, 2009 (JD/MBA, paid)
• Transportation Security Administration, Office on Civil Rights - Summer Law Student Internship Program - deadline of mid-March established BUT accepted rolling, and selections may be made by end of February (1L/2L, unpaid)
• U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Judiciary - Minority Office, Summer Internship - deadline now established:  March 2, 2009 (1L/2L, unpaid)

The Federal Aviation Administration Office of Chief Counsel Summer Legal Intern Program (1l, 2L)

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM:  The Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA"), Office of Chief Counsel ("OCC") will hire ten to twelve 1Ls and 2Ls for volunteer 10-12 week Summer legal internship in the Washington, DC office. Approximately 100-200 Summer applications are received each year.  The program begins in June, and split summers are not permitted.  Where possible, students will be placed according to preference in the following practice areas: Litigation; Enforcement & Compliance; International Affairs and Legal Policy; Legislation; Commercial Law; Regulations; Procurement Law; Airports and Environmental Law; Personnel & Labor Law; General Legal Services and Ethics; Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition; and Alternative Dispute Resolution.  Interns will work directly with senior staff members on a variety of assignments.  One to two part-time internships may also be available in Regional or Center Counsel Offices.  To apply, contact the office directly. 

The OCC furnishes legal services to the FAA Administrator and Agency organizations at the DC, Regional and Center levels.  It also represents the Agency in civil penalty and acquisition disputes in forums including the National Transportation Safety Board, Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, FAA’s Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition and U.S. federal courts.  The office also works closely with the Office of General Counsel of the Department of Transportation on issues of significance to the aviation industry.    

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:  U.S. citizenship is required.

APPLICATION PROCESS:  Submit cover letter (listing in order of 4 preferred practice areas, or statement of willingness to work in any area), resume, law school transcript and writing sample.  Applications are considered on a rolling basis, but no later than Sun., Feb. 1, 2009.  Interviews are conducted telephonically for all candidates.   Summer offers are typically made no later than mid-March, but possibly earlier, depending on when spots are filled. Submit by Email ONLY: 9-AWA-AGC-Internship@faa.gov. (Subject line should contain your name and "Summer Legal Intern Program").  

New York City Law Department 2009 Summer Honors Program

The New York City Law Department seeks students with a strong interest in municipal issues and desire to work in the public sector. The 2009 Summer Honors Program offers an unique insider’s view of city government.  Interns will visit the city's police training facility, enjoy a barbeque at Gracie Mansion, and attend seminar lunches with deputy mayors, city agency commissioners and federal and state court judges. 

Summer Honors Program interns are paid a weekly stipend for nine weeks. Free housing is available to students who are enrolled in law schools and have permanent addresses outside of commuting distance from New York City.  To apply, mail, e-mail (recruitment@law.nyc.gov), or fax (212-227-6177) your cover letter, resume and transcript to: 

Stuart D. Smith, Esq.

Director of Legal Recruitment

New York City Law Department

100 Church Street, Room 6-110

New York, NY 10007

1L applicants should include their first semester grades with their applications.  Hiring decisions are made on a rolling basis with most offers being extended prior to March 31, 2009.  For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/html/law/html/careers/honors.shtml.

Public Interest OPPORTUNITIES

Latino Justice Summer Internships

 About Us

 

LatinoJustice PRLDEF (formerly Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund) is one of the foremost Latino civil rights organizations in the country, serving a pan-Latino constituency. Since 1972, the organization has been bringing precedent-setting impact litigation that has profoundly improved the way Latinos are treated in our society. Current areas of

focus include constitutional rights, immigrants' rights; voting rights; housing, education, and job discrimination; the treatment of day laborers, freedom of movement, and all forms of bias that affect Latinos. Recent historic victories include Lozano v. City of Hazleton, enjoining a Pennsylvania town from enacting its own immigration enforcement laws, and Doe v. Mamaroneclz, challenging discriminatory harassment of day laborers. Their geographic foci are the Eastern United States and all areas where Latinos face injustice.

 

Internships at LatinoJustice PRLDEP

 

LatinoJustice interns conduct research, write sections of briefs, participate in client interviews, and accompany lawyers to court hearings. With a small staff and a heavy litigation docket, LatinoJustice does not assign "make work" projects to interns. Law students are considered part of our staff and are included in every stage of planning our impact cases. Recent student work has included research into the First Amendment rights of laborers, the Fourth Amendment rights of individuals caught up in immigration home raids, the right to timely processing of naturalization applications, and the Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.

 

The Summer Program

 

Each summer several 1L and 2L students from around the country perform cutting-edge legal work. Located at 99 Hudson Street, the home of public interest organizations including the NAACP-LDF and the Asian American Legal Defense and

Education Fund ("AALDEF"), LatinoJustice also offers unique opportunities for our interns to learn from other civil rights programs. The three organizations host a weekly "brown bag" lunch with guest speakers from the civil rights community. Past discussions have included the future of desegregation, emerging issues in immigrants' rights, and building public interest careers.

 

Qualifications

 

LatinoJustice is seeking energetic, motivated law students with a record of commitment to social justice work, with excellent legal, written, research, and communications skills. Bilingual Spanish/English is a plus but not required.

 

Application

 

Please submit cover letter and resume to Jose Perez at jperez@latinojustice.org. Open until filled.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF

Tel: 212 219 3360

Fax: 212 431 4276

800 328 2322

99 Hudson Street, 14th floor

New York, NY 10013-2815

 

For additional information, visit their website at www.latinojustice.org.

 

The Mississippi Center for Justice Invites Students to Apply for Summer Internships

The Mississippi Center for Justice, a homegrown, nonprofit public interest law firm, invites law students to apply for their “Legacy of Legal Advocacy” summer long internships to advance social justice in Mississippi. They do not provide a stipend, but will work with students to meet grant application deadlines at their schools or with other funders. They also encourage all summer interns accepted into the program to submit an application to Equal Justice Works Summer Corps to earn a $1000 education award (applications open in spring 2009 – check www.equaljusticeworks.org for more information).  

The Mississippi Center for Justice opened its doors in 2003 as a homegrown, nonprofit public interest law firm, giving Mississippi a critical capacity to pursue racial and economic justice through advocacy for systemic change. The Mississippi Center for Justice carries out its mission through a community lawyering approach that advances specific social justice campaigns in partnership with national and local organizations and community leaders. The Mississippi Center for Justice has two offices in Mississippi, one in Jackson and one in Biloxi. Our team includes attorneys, legal assistants and other professionals who are committed to making Mississippi a model social justice state.  

Since inception, the Mississippi Center for Justice has been at the forefront of policy battles on the state and federal levels to bring about systemic change that improves the social justice environment for all Mississippians. In 2003, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation report about intolerable conditions at the training schools became a springboard for action. In September 2003, they co-convened the first meeting of the Mississippi Coalition to Prevent Schoolhouse to Jailhouse. Through a combination of litigation strategies, media advocacy and legislative advocacy, they helped remediate unconstitutional conditions and achieve a substantial reduction in the number of children incarcerated.   

The Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2005 was hailed by The Clarion-Ledger as the “most important legislation to emerge from the 2005 session.”  In 2006, a similar legislative advocacy effort by the Coalition resulted in enactment of the Mississippi Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act, which provided significant funding for community-based incarceration alternatives, imposed training requirements for court-appointed juvenile public defenders and set comprehensive standards for juvenile detention centers.   

The Mississippi Center for Justice continues to help develop an upgraded system that effectively matches needs with legal services on a number of issues that combat economic, social and racial injustice across the state. Today, the Mississippi Center for Justice is active in campaigns that: 

§         Combat predatory payday lending practices

§         Mediate mortgage payments to help homeowners avoid foreclosure

§         Advocate for affordable housing, including rental properties, for Mississippi’s coastal communities

§         Assist victims of Hurricane Katrina overcome barriers for accessing recovery grants and other aid

§         Ensure fair discipline processes and hearings for students in grades K-12

§         Empower communities to become advocates for protecting their neighborhoods from environmental injustices

§         Remove state-imposed administrative barriers that deny qualified children access to federally-funded healthcare programs

§         Encourage the use of unallocated federal funds to supplement affordable childcare for working families 

Law students have been involved in various campaigns. The projects are limited only by the students’ imaginations and desire to become part of the fabric of Mississippi life.

Some examples of student work include: 

Legal Clinics
Law students provide counseling and conduct in-take at legal clinics organized by the Center. From conducting public outreach to preparing files for referral to attorneys, students provide a much-needed source of hands-on action to meet the needs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as in other regions of the state. Law clinics focus on issues ranging from contractor fraud to foreclosure prevention.

Surveys and Research
Students conduct surveys and research projects to help communities and neighborhoods better understand how to become advocates for their own fair housing needs. By educating and advising residents, students are empowering residents to become engaged in local land use issues, public housing improvements and economic justice campaigns.

The results of the surveys have also become a matter of public record when used in testimony provided by the Mississippi Center for Justice before US Congressional committees that continue to evaluate the state’s diversion of emergency recovery funds intended for affordable house projects to business-related interests. 

Public Outreach
The barrier to action is often a lack of information. From foreclosure prevention to predatory lending and accessing healthcare benefits, education is often the key to community action. Law students are often the source for creating public education materials and disseminating information that empowers advocates and residents to access services and avoid scams.  

Public education materials are typically developed in conjunction with pro bono attorneys from the across the United States, providing students yet another opportunity to interact and develop relationships with attorneys from a wide range of practice areas.

 

To Apply:

Students should submit a résumé with current contact information, including an e-mail address, and a cover letter that outlines your interest in the Mississippi Center for Justice and their work, and identifies what kind of experiences and policy areas draw you to the organization. Students also include three references.  If you are applying for a summer grant from an external source, please make any deadlines you must meet clear in the opening paragraph. Please also indicate whether you have a preference for working out of our Jackson or Biloxi office, or if you are open to placement in either office. 

 

Send resume, cover letter and references to:

 

Mississippi Center for Justice

Legacy of Legal Advocacy

P.O. Box 1023

Jackson, Mississippi 39215-1023

Phone: (601)352-2269

Fax: (601)352-4769

Or, e-mail: croby@mscenterforjustice.org

Applications for Summer 2009 placement must be postmarked and/or received via e-mail by February 2, 2009.

PSLawNet has Openings for Summer 2009 Project Assistant Positions

PSLawNet has openings for our summer 2009 Project Assistant positions.  This job description can be viewed at https://pslawnet.org/uploads/Summer_2009_PSLawNet_Project_Assistant_Positions.pdf, and is also posted on PSLawNet.  This is an ideal opportunity for law or graduate students who desire to supplement their income while interning or clerking in Washington, DC in the summer.

Summer LGBT Rights Internship

The QLaw Foundation Public Interest Summer Grant funds innovative public interest projects that benefit the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (“LGBT”) community and/or people living with HIV/AIDS. The focus of the grant is to address unmet legal needs and to help ensure that the next generation of legal advocates for LGBT rights develops the critical skills necessary to develop careers in the public interest. Previous grant projects include the development of a Washington state-focused GLBT “Know Your Rights” booklet and a research and policy analysis internship with the Northwest Women’s Law Center.

 

Qualifications

 

Law students who seek summer internships promoting LGBT rights or the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS may apply. QLaw gives preference to:

 

• Students attending Washington state law schools or those seeking internships for the benefit of Washington state residents.

• Students with a demonstrated interest in and commitment to LGBT rights and/or the rights of persons living with  

  HIV/AIDS.

The QLaw Foundation values diversity and encourages all interested students to apply.

 

Projects and Organizations

 

Students are encouraged to create their own projects and connect with sponsoring organizations well in advance of the application deadline. The QLaw Foundation will offer applicants a list of sponsoring organizations that have projects addressing issues relevant to LGBT rights or the rights of people with HIV/AIDS. These organizations are existing 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, or government agencies with staff attorneys who are qualified and available to supervise the student.

 

Applications will be available at www.q-law.org in November 2008, and must be submitted by March 20, 2009.

 

For more information about the application process, go to www.q-law.org, or contact:

Cynthia Buhr

Grant Subcommittee Chair & QLaw Foundation Board of Directors

206-328-8048

cynthia@spenceranderson.com

Legal Momentum Summer 2009 Legal Internships

Legal Momentum is the oldest and largest national legal advocacy organization dedicated to women's rights. They have used the power of the law to define and defend women's rights for over thirty five years through law, policy development, public education and coalition building. Legal Momentum strives to provide its legal interns with a stimulating and diversified clinical experience. 

Application deadline IS February 2, 2009 for 1Ls.  Early applications are strongly encouraged because applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Summer interns will be paid $490 per week.  For information on how to apply, visit their website at www.legalmomentum.org.

Legal Services of New Jersey Sponsoring Paid Internship Program

Legal Services of New Jersey ("LSNJ") will sponsor once again a paid intern program during the summer of 2009, awarding summer intern fellowships in New Jersey public interest legal organizations to rising 2nd and 3rd year law students. The purpose of this program is to promote awareness of, and commitment to, careers in public interest law by offering rewarding employment opportunities to law students. For more information, visit: http://www.lsnj.org/internprog.htm.

The Institute for Educational Equity and Opportunity Summer Associate Award (2L Students)

The Institute for Educational Equity & Opportunity (“IFEEO”) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of educational equity and opportunity, particularly for disadvantaged United States’ public school children through legal means. The IFEEO is especially interested in fair and equitable public school finance laws.

Towards that end, the IFEEO established the IFEEO Summer Associate Award in the amount of $1,000.00 per week for 12 weeks. a Second-year law student will develop and submit a proposal for a full-time 12-week internship with a public interest organization or an attorney that is involved in litigation to enhance educational opportunities for disadvantaged students, particularly through legal means, such as school finance/equity litigation.

For information about the Summer Associate Award, contact Sheilah Vance, Esq. or Cheryl Hardy, Esq. at info@ifeeo.org.

ABA John J. Curtin, Jr. Justice Fund 2009 Summer Legal Internship Program

 

The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is seeking motivated law student interns to apply for stipends available for the Summer 2009 Program. These students should have a position offered, contingent on funding, from a qualified organization.

 

INTERNSHIP:

The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is managed jointly by the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty and the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants. The Program will pay a $2,500 stipend to three law school students who spend the summer months working for a bar association or legal services program designed to prevent homelessness or assist homeless or indigent clients or their advocates. The Legal Internship Program will provide much-needed legal assistance to organizations serving the under-represented and give students direct experience in a

public interest forum. Through this, it aims both to help homeless clients and to encourage careers in the law that further the goals of social justice.

 

INTERN REQUIREMENTS:

The ideal intern will have a demonstrated interest in public interest law and experience working with poor people or on issues affecting them. All law students are eligible, and first-year law students are encouraged to apply. The intern must commit no less than eight continuous weeks between May 1st and October 1st to the program of his or her choice.

 

Application Process and Deadline:

Each applicant shall submit a cover letter, resume, application form (available at www.abanet.org/homeless/curtin.shtml) and a prospective program's supporting statement. Please be specific about the issues on which you plan to focus and what you hope to accomplish. Applicants must submit the application to the Curtin Internship Program, American Bar Association Commission on Homelessness and Poverty, 740 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.All applications must be received by Monday, March 23, 2009. Early submissions are welcome.

 

For More Information:

Please contact the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty at (202) 662-1694, or via email at  homeless@abanet.org, or visit the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty’s Web site at http://www.abanet.org/homeless/curtin.shtml to obtain an application and to learn more about the program and the application deadline.  

The Initiative for Public Interest at Yale (3L Students)

Are you a 3L interested in public interest work?  Do you have a project you'd like to get off the ground next year?  If so, apply for funding from the Initiative for Public Interest at Yale!

The Initiative is a non-profit organization that provides start-up money for projects that protect the legal rights or interests of inadequately represented groups. It funds cutting-edge projects whose successful execution might be a model for other organizations seeking new and better ways to represent clients. 

For information about how to apply, visit The Initiative's web site at http://www.law.yale.edu/stuorgs/initiative.htm.

The deadline to submit applications for one-year grants of up to $30,000 to be awarded in the summer of 2009 is February 2, 2009.

Questions about the Initiative in general or about the grant application and selection process should be directed to intiativeforpublicinterest@gmail.com.

Become a Law Clerk With the Texas Civil Rights Project

The Texas Civil Rights Project ("TCRP") is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to stop discrimination and police brutality while defending free speech and prisoner rights through impact litigation. Each summer, law students from around the country gain significant experience in civil rights law in Austin, El Paso, San Juan and Houston. Traditionally, clerks take larger roles and responsibilities in the organization's cases. The positions are unpaid, but students may receive credit or grants from their law schools and other sources.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to:

The Texas Civil Rights Project

Michael Tigar Human Rights Center

1405 Montopolis Drive

Austin, Texas 78741-3438

 

You can also e-mail your materials to Wayne Krause, Legal Director, at WayneKrause@TexasCivilRightsProject.org.