The PSLawNet Blog

EarthJustice, an independent non-profit law firm dedicated to serving the environmental movement, is looking for law students with strong academic credentials and a demonstrated commitment to protecting the environment and wildlife to work as summer law clerks in its Rocky Mountain office. The following is a sample of their current docket:

* Defense of Public Lands: Our office is involved in challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s attempt to eliminate protection for wilderness-quality lands throughout the West; efforts to stop the damage caused by off-road vehicles in Utah’s canyon country and Colorado’s mountain forests; and many other efforts to protect our western public lands.

* Responsible Energy: We are involved in numerous cases, both national and regional in scope, that challenge irresponsible and illegal energy development on public and private lands, including sensitive Wyoming sage grouse habitat, Utah canyon country, and wilderness-quality lands in Colorado.

* Ecosystem Protection: We work to protect the rich riparian corridors and forests throughout the West that are home to abundant native wildlife and many federally listed species. Earthjustice represents citizen groups in efforts to obtain protection for these important areas using the Endangered Species Act, the National Forest Management Act, and other federal statutes.

To check out the full listing, visit PSLawNet.org (log-in required)!

Break the Cycle is a national nonprofit organization working to engage, educate, and empower youth to build lives and communities free from dating and domestic violence. To help them with their mission, they are now looking for a Research & Policy Intern to join the team!

The Research and Policy Intern will:

• Research and analyze state and local laws related to dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
• Contribute to the development of written products to assist schools and community-based organizations improve their response to young survivors of abuse.
• Examine and categorize relevant studies to support the work of the Training and Policy Departments.
• Write content for the Break the Cycle website.
• Assist with other with other tasks as needed.

To learn more about the position, check out the full description at PSLawNet.org!

The Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation is looking for an attorney to fill a three-year Foreclosure Fellowship position in its Western Regional Office in Alton, Illinois. The Fellow will represent low income homeowners who are unable to meet current mortgage obligations and who need legal assistance to avoid foreclosure. The position will involve: individual case work, including advice, budget counseling and loan modification negotiations; defense of homeowners in foreclosure (including in mediation); possible affirmative litigation in state or federal court; and education and outreach efforts directed at courts, homeowners and service providers in the community.

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation is a non-profit organization providing free legal services to low-income individuals and to senior citizens in civil cases through five (5) offices in central and southern Illinois.  The program has a long history of high quality and innovative advocacy for their clients.  The Western Regional Office-Alton is located in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Check out the job listing at PSLawNet.org (log-in required)!

This position is available immediately. The job location will be in Pacoima, California with frequent local travel required.

Supervises attorneys and paralegals in all aspects of poverty law, including hearings, litigation and policy advocacy work on individual and impact cases, including health care, government benefits, housing, family law immigration and community development.  Responsible for policy work, special staff projects and substantive legal work.  Handles quality control, assistance and supervision of representation at hearings and in court, and opportunities for providing direct representation.  Develops training and resource materials and trains advocates. May be asked to perform other duties and responsibilities to meet program priorities.  Experience in health and/or public benefits advocacy strongly preferred.

NLSLA is one of Los Angeles County’s leading public interest law offices and has been the primary legal aid program serving the Antelope and San Fernando Valleys, and the cities of Glendale and Burbank for 40 years and the city of Pasadena and San Gabriel, Pomona  Valleys since 2001.  The NLSLA staff of 100+, including 45 lawyers, provides legal assistance to low-income individuals, families and groups in the areas of family law and domestic violence, housing, health care, employment, public benefits, economic and job development, immigrant rights, consumer rights, and environmental justice.  NLSLA offices are located in the cities of El Monte, Glendale and LA (Pacoima)

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

DHS components work collectively to prevent terrorism, secure borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard cyberspace and ensure resilience to disasters.  The vitality and magnitude of this mission is achieved by a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations.

The Office of the Chief Counsel provides legal advice to, and legal representation of, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials in matters relating to the activities and functions of CBP. The Office is also responsible for reviewing proposed actions to ensure compliance with legal requirements, preparing formal legal opinions, preparing or reviewing responses in all court actions, civil or criminal, involving CBP, and developing, implementing, and evaluating nationwide programs, policies, and procedures within its functional areas. The Office of the Chief Counsel has both a Headquarters and a field structure. The Headquarters office is located in Washington, D.C. and its activities are divided broadly into three functional areas: Ethics, Labor and Employment; Enforcement; and Trade and Finance, under the supervision of Associate Chief Counsels. The field structure consists of Associate and Assistant Chief Counsels located in major cities across the United States who advise CBP field managers in their geographic areas.

This position is in the Office of Chief Counsel – CBP, and will be under the supervision of the Associate Chief Counsel, Enforcement. The selectee provides legal services concerning the laws that relate to CBP enforcement functions with special emphasis on Customs and Immigration Law. The selectee researches the law and prepares legal memoranda, litigation reports, affidavits and other documents in civil and/or criminal actions involving CBP; provides current information to the field concerning significant changes in law and procedure; advises policy makers and coordinates legal issues with other government components; and prepares or reviews CBP regulations, policies and other materials.

The deadline to apply is 7/16 – find out how at PSLawNet!

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) is seeking an Executive Director to lead this nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide high quality legal assistance to low income and other special needs groups and to stimulate and empower groups of poor people to accomplish energetic and affirmative advocacy, all to alleviate the circumstances, incidents and causes of poverty.

JALA’s next Executive Director will arrive at a time of both challenge and opportunity.  JALA’s strengths include its reputation for effective litigation and diversity of legal practice, its experienced, nationally recognized staff, its history of delivering quality legal services, and its diverse funding streams.  Its challenges include the current economic crisis, delivering services in the face of increasing demand and decreasing resources, and increasing its funding base.

The deadline to apply is July 6 – find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

ChangeLab Solutions (formerly Public Health Law & Policy or PHLP) is hiring a full-time, temporary law clerk to work on tobacco control and childhood obesity prevention legal and policy issues. The position is available for 4 – 6 months.

ChangeLab Solutions focuses on improving the public’s health by drawing on the expertise of an inter-disciplinary team of lawyers, urban planners, and public health professionals.

ChangeLab Solutions works with community-based organizations, local public health and planning departments, schools, elected officials, government attorneys, and private counsel to create groundbreaking policy solutions to critical public health challenges. ChangeLab Solutions staff provide comprehensive training, technical assistance, and legal and policy tools to advance public health policy. Working closely with law professors, private attorneys, and other experts, ChangeLab Solutions staff craft policies that reflect the most creative and innovative thinking on a given public health issue.

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

The City of Chicago Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel in the RE Division to represent the City in transactional matters. The Assistant Corporation Counsel will work under the general supervision of the Deputy Corporation Counsel of the RE Division, and will be given a high level of responsibility for handling transactional matters, including: drafting ordinances, redevelopment agreements, purchase and sale agreements, intergovernmental agreements, leases, easement agreements,  rights of entry, and other transactional documents; investigating ownership and title matters; reviewing environmental reports and appraisals; preparing ancillary closing documents; advising City departments on zoning, landmarks and procedural matters relating to the sale and development of land, and City requirements applicable thereto, including MBE/WBE and City resident hiring, prevailing wage requirements, executive orders and other generally applicable municipal laws.

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

The Abe Fellowship is designed to encourage international multidisciplinary research on topics of pressing global concern. The program seeks to foster the development of a new generation of researchers who are interested in policy-relevant topics of long-range importance and who are willing to become key members of a bilateral and global research network built around such topics. Applications are welcome from scholars and non-academic research professionals. Funding for the program is provided by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.

Applicants are invited to submit proposals for research in the social sciences or related disciplines relevant to any one or combination of the following three themes: 1) traditional and non-traditional approaches to security and diplomacy, 2) global and regional economic issues, and 3) the role of civil society.

Rather than seeking to promote greater understanding of a single country, the Abe Fellowship Program encourages research on the experiences and future challenges of the US and Japan in a comparative or global perspective. The Abe Fellowship Program Committee seeks applications for research focusing explicitly on policy-relevant and contemporary issues that have a comparative or transnational perspective and that draw the study of the US and Japan into wider disciplinary or theoretical debates.

Fellowship tenure may begin between April 1 and December 31 of a given year. Fellowship tenure need not be continuous, but must be concluded within 24 months of activation of the Fellowship. Candidates should propose to spend at least one-third of the Fellowship tenure in residence abroad in Japan or the United States. Proposals may also include periods of research in other countries.

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

The National Education Association (NEA) is America’s oldest and largest organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NEA proudly claims more than 3 million members devoted to the following mission: to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education by preparing every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. Our vision is a great public school for every student. We strive to improve the quality of teaching, to increase student achievement, and to make schools safer and better places to learn.

NEA seeks an experienced attorney to join the team in the NEA Office of General Counsel. The NEA Office of General Counsel works on a diverse array of legal matters to advance NEA’s overall mission including litigation, regulatory and advocacy matters. The NEA Office of General Counsel’s caseload includes cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and a small number of state appellate courts and administrative forums. In addition, the NEA Office of General Counsel frequently presents the views of NEA on federal regulatory initiatives affecting NEA, NEA affiliates and their members and leaders. The NEA Office of General Counsel also administers the National Organization of Lawyers for Educational Associations (“NOLEA”), which is a national network of lawyers representing school employees and their associations. To that end, the NEA Office of General Counsel maintains a NOLEA groupsite, regularly circulates an E-Letter update of legal developments to NOLEA members, and holds an annual education conference.

Find out how to apply at PSLawNet!