ARCHIVE FOR AUGUST 2009

August 27, 2009

U. Virginia’s Law School Responds To Clerkship Push

Noticing an uptick in clerkship interest, the University of Virginia Law School has created an Office of Judicial Clerkships.

The new office, operating separate of Career Services, will inform students and graduates of the benefits of working with judges and will help place those interested in the often very competitive clerkship market.

To the Charlottesville Daily Progress, Ruth Payne, who will head the office, said: “We have a lot of really talented students who would benefit from the clerkship experience who we don’t talk to until their career path is set.  We want our students to make the best choices for themselves, but also to make them aware of what’s out there.”

This fall, 80 Cavaliers are set to take positions in judges’ offices; a number which represents a 33% increase compared to the tally of two years ago, in 2007.  Mostly, UVA places clerks in federal trial and appeals courts, and the law school has four new alumni set to begin clerkships at the Supreme Court in the coming months.  Payne indicated that 130 have applied for Fall 2010 clerkships.

Speaking of the benefits of clerkships, Payne indicated the value of experiential courtroom exposure, which is rare for graduates starting out at private law firms.

The initiative on the Virginia campus falls in line with similar maneuvers at other law schools, as more resources are being devoted to clerkship placement.  NYU School of Law, for instance, created its own Judicial Clerkship Office earlier in the year.

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# posted by admin @ 3:00 am in Law School News, School: University of Virginia

August 25, 2009

UC Irvine’s Scholarship Program Pays Dividends With Inaugural Class

With 61 students opening the new law school at the University of California (Irvine) on Monday, it seems that the nascent program’s generous scholarships are paying off - for now, at least.

Boosted by a $20 million donation, UC Irvine took a portion of that gift and offered full scholarships for its inaugural class.  As a result, the school, even in its first year, was one of the most selective in the country.  According to the Los Angeles Times, which offered the original profile last Friday morning, students turned down such schools as Columbia, NYU and Chicago to attend UC Irvine.

In addition to free tuition, the school’s inaugural class will enjoy a three-to-one student-to-faculty ratio, participate in a required clinical program doing intake interviews, and will help shape new activities and publications.  The Times article also quotes the University of Chicago’s Brian Leiter, who said that, based on the quality of the faculty and the test scores of the students, the current class should be ranked among the nation’s top 20 law schools.

Long term, UC Irvine has expressed a desire to boost its class size to approximately 600 students and to maintain a strong public service focus.  The Orange County public school also hopes, if sustainable, to be funded entirely through subsidized tuition.

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# posted by admin @ 2:46 pm in Law School News, School: UC Irvine

August 19, 2009

Global legal centers created at Indiana, Harvard law schools

Continuing a growing research trend among prominent law schools, Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law recently announced the addition of the Center on the Global Legal Profession to its Bloomington, Ind. campus.

The center’s aim, according to a school press release, is to encourage understanding of international legal systems for the benefit of current and future attorneys.  The announcement was made public Aug. 8 in New Delhi, India at a conference on globalization’s reforming effect on legal systems.  The Maurer School of Law and the Jindal Global Law School jointly sponsored the conference, and will collaborate further on the newly-created center.

Speaking of her school’s new initiative in the press release, Dean Lauren Robel said, “A core competency of lawyers in the future will be their ability to understand the structure of legal professions across the globe and to access knowledge within those structures.”

In an expression of similar sentiment regarding the burgeoning importance of global comparative law, Indiana’s announcement was preceded this summer by Harvard Law School’s decision to recast its longstanding European Law Research Center (ELRC) as the new Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP).

In a statement to the HLS Office of Communications, Director David Kennedy, who originally founded the ELRC in 1991, discussed the timeliness of the decision to expand the center’s formerly regional mandate, as the IGLP looks forward to discourse on global governance in the wake of the global economic crisis.

The IGLP has pledged, however, to maintain its existing comparative law relationships.  In the past, these relationships have fostered an affiliate program, an antitrust law workshop, a business law seminar and various conferences and fellowships with organizations from such nations as Belgium and Spain.

At Indiana, the Center on the Global Legal Profession will also build on three specific existing components of the Maurer School of Law: the Law Firms Working Group, which collects data on the legal system and law firm changes through a partnership with other law schools; the FutureFirm competition, which grants prize money to competitors that create innovative business plans for successful future law firms; and the Comparative Legal Professions program, which incorporates globalization into legal system research.

Professor William Henderson will direct Maurer’s new center.

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# posted by admin @ 5:00 am in Law School News, School: Harvard, School: Indiana

August 18, 2009

Participants Complete Summer Institute for Global Justice at Utrecht University

J.D. students from around the world recently completed this year’s Summer Institute for Global Justice, a six-week intensive program that exposes attendees to international and comparative law. The institute, now in its fifth year, is held in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and is co-sponsored by Washington University Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law and Utrecht University.

While enrolled in the program, participants have the opportunity to learn from prominent experts in the field of international law, including such persons as Distinguished Visiting Jurists Larry Johnson and William Shabas. Many student report that, on top to regular class sessions, many professors arrange for “evening hours,” often held at nearby bars and restaurants. In addition to the courses taught, students will also be free to visit The Hague, a 30-minute train ride from Utrecht, which serves as the headquarters of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, including many others courts and conferences.

Several of the courses taught during the institute not only educate students about various issues related to comparative law, but also invite attendees to explore the functions of the diverse courts and groups present at The Hague. Each year, the program arranges for several field trips to the institutions, and hosts presentations by their leading officers.  This past summer, one trip focused on the institutions housed in the Peace Palace , including the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, while the second focused on the international criminal courts and tribunals housed in The Hague . In addition to The Hague, Brussels, the location of NATO and the Council of the European Union, is a two-hour ride away.

During the program, held this year from June 6th – July 18th, each student enrolls in three courses, for a total of six credits, choosing from this six that are offered. All courses are three weeks long and are worth two credit units apiece.The courses offered during Summer 2009 were:

International Criminal Law & Procedure
International Civil Litigation.
Contemporary Developments in International Human Rights Law
Whistleblowing in Comparative Perspective
Intellectual Property & International Trade and Development
The Law of International Organizations

The program is ABA-accredited, and most U.S.-based law schools allow students to transfer these credits to their home institutions, though most participants report that the credits earned do not accelerate graduation.

Students in good standing as their home programs, as well as alumni, are encouraged to apply to the program, though space is limited to 60 students to ensure a small class size and more intimate seminars. Tuition, excluding travel, food and personal expenditures, was $3,600 for U.S. participants this summer, though the price is student-loan eligible at many law schools. Individuals interested in learning more about the program or applying for next year’s session should visit the Summer Institute for Global Justice website.

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# posted by admin @ 3:08 am in Events, School: Washington University in St. Louis

August 14, 2009

Public Interest Law Career Support: Harvard

Though many students are initially drawn to law school out of a sincere desire to help underserved populations, high tuition costs and the pressure to secure a high-paying job after graduation to pay down loans frequently induce students to abandon their dreams of public service.  To encourage students to use their legal education to help others, many leading law schools have established advising centers providing a wealth of resources to students interested in a career in public interest law.  Through these centers, students can access career counseling, help in locating summer internships and post-graduation employment, as well as make use of loan forgiveness programs to make it possible for students to accept a job at a public interest organization.  In an effort to show applicants and current students some of the resources that exist to help them achieve their public interest career goals, we’re launching a series in which we’ll share information about the various avenues of support available to students at leading law schools who are interested in working for a non-profit or other public interest organization.  First up on our docket is Harvard’s Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising (OPIA).

The OPIA at HLS provides students with a host of resources to help them locate potential employers, hone relevant job skills and supports them throughout their job search.  OPIA hosts events throughout the year, such as interviewing workshops, panel discussions about various public sector careers and public interest job fairs, that are very well-attended.  Many students also choose to take advantage of OPIA Attorney Advisors, practicing attorneys who are available to meet throughout the year to give students advice about finding a job in the advisor’s field.  Current advisors have experience with organizations such as Manhattan’s Legal Aid Office, the National Institutes of Health and the American Red Cross, and can give students a glimpse into the day-to-day life of a public interest lawyer.  Students are also encouraged to meet with the Wasserstein Public Interest Fellows, who are also practicing attorneys working in public interest who visit HLS for a few days during the year to discuss their experiences and advise job-seeking students about finding a position in a non-profit organization or government agency.  Since 1990, Wasserstein Fellows have been guest teaching, giving speeches to classes, participating in panel discussions, sitting down with student groups and meeting with individual students to discuss public interest law careers.  The lawyers chosen to be Wasserstein Fellows are rising leaders in their field who come to HLS prepared to talk about every aspect of public interest work, from discussing the grand goals their organization hopes to accomplish to the minutiae of their workday.

OPIA also helps students who have secured public interest jobs apply for fellowship funding and loan forgiveness.  There are nine fellowships available exclusively to Harvard students who have been offered a non-paying summer internship or post-graduate employment in the public interest field.  For example, talented 3Ls who have demonstrated a passion for public interest law are eligible for the Maria, Gabriella & Robert A. Skirnick Public Interest Fellowships, which provide up to $40,000 in funding to work for one year in a non-profit organization or government agency.  HLS students who secure a public interest law position, judicial clerkship or pursue Ph.D. study are also eligible for the Low Income Protection Plan (LIPP), which covers a significant portion of their annual loan payment.

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# posted by admin @ 8:35 am in Public Interest Career Resources, School: Harvard

August 6, 2009

Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society (CIS)

In an increasingly technologically advanced society, scholars and students alike are recognizing the need for an area of law focused on the intersection of law, technology and public interest. The Center for Internet and Society (CIS) at Stanford Law School is a public interest technology law and policy initiative and is a component of the Law, Science and Technology Program offered by the institution. The CIS hosts various events and projects during the year to bring together academics, researchers and students to study the ways in which science and technology are interacting with law today.

A primary focus of the research conducted by the group is a consideration of the ways in which the relationship between new technologies and law practices can promote or harm basic civil liberties, including privacy, free speech, diversity and scientific inquiry. Additionally, the projects conducted by the CIS are intended to encourage the leaders in law and the technology industries to make decisions that will protect and promote civil rights and liberties.

In order to expand its impact, the CIS has worked to develop a series of events and projects. For example, the Consumer Privacy Project (CPP), established in 2008, aims to improve internet privacy practices by raising awareness through events. On August 13, the group responsible for the project will host the webcast event “The Future of Notice.” An additional effort organized by CIS is the Fair Use Project (FUP), which was founded in 2006 in order to provide legal support for groups and events whose aim is to enhance creative freedom. The FUP mainly represents filmmakers, artists and musicians, advising them on the policies regarding copyrights, trademark infringement and additional issues related to freedom of expression.

In addition to the projects and events sponsored by CIS, Stanford Law students also have the opportunity to take courses related to the technology and law. Among these options are the courses Advanced Topics in Cyberlaw and Fair Use and Film. There are also a variety of fellowships organized and sponsored by the group. To learn more about the mission and offerings of the CIS, visit the program’s website.

The Stanford Law CIS is only one of the programs available for students interested in learning about the intersections of law and technology. The Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology oversees a variety of similar programs, events and clinics. All of the offerings are designed to raise awareness of technical and ethical challenges and encourage national and global public policies related to technology.

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# posted by admin @ 8:00 am in Law School News, School: Stanford

August 5, 2009

U. Michigan Law School’s Innocence Clinic Notches First Win, Frees Clients

Considering the prevalence of clinical programs on law school campuses, and the importance attached to them with regards to students’ practical litigation exposure, a recent case out of Michigan Law School caught our eye:

On July 31, two Detroit men, in prison for nearly a decade, were released after Michigan Law School’s Innocence Clinic successfully argued their case.

The two men were originally sentenced for 20 years in prison for assault with attempt to murder, though certain contrary evidence was not presented by the defense at the time.  On July 10, nearly two months after the Innocence Clinic closed its appeal, a Michigan judge awarded a new trial for the Clinic’s defendants, and subsequently the prosecution indicated it would not re-file charges.

The Innocence Clinic, which has only been in full operation since January, litigates on behalf of clients it believes have been wrongfully convicted.  The Clinic selects cases based on improper handling of original evidence or the introduction of new evidence, excluding biological evidence like DNA.

Though it was not a formal clinical program at the time, the Innocence Clinic began accepting client case proposals in mid-2008.  Since then, the group has received more than 3,000 letters requesting representation assistance and is now officially one of Michigan Law School’s 14 clinical programs.

Individual state laws provide parameters that each law school’s clinical programs must follow, such as restricting certain responsibilities to upperclassmen and limiting the types of litigation services clinical programs can provide.  For instance, Ohio’s Supreme Court recently ruled that the state will now allow 3Ls to represent defendants charged with felonies, adding to a foundation of misdemeanor case experience.

In general, though, Michigan’s Innocence Clinic, like all clinical programs, provides practical experience to supplement classroom education, and, under the supervision of faculty or local attorney advisers, offers students the opportunity to develop real-life “lawyering” skills, such as client intake and interviewing, briefing, negotiating and civil and criminal trial arguing.  U-M’s Innocence Clinic in particular operates with two supervising co-directors.  Clinical programs operate on a pro-bono basis, and often represent community members who lack adequate representation.

For more information on the Innocence Clinic’s recent success, please follow this link, and for a photo slideshow of the Clinic at work, click here.

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# posted by admin @ 11:48 am in Law School News, School: Michigan

August 3, 2009

LSAC Law School Recruitment Forums

Recently, we discussed the search data for the ABA-LSAC official guide, a source made available by the LSAC for prospective law school applicants. This week, we’d like to highlight another valuable opportunity organized by LSAC – the LSAC Law School Forums. These forums, scheduled to be held in several major cities during the fall and winter, offer J.D. hopefuls the opportunity to meet with representatives from a wide variety of law schools in a centralized location. Although many of the representatives hold positions in their school’s admissions office, attendees will also have the chance to meet with faculty members, recent graduates and current students.

Prospective J.D. candidates who attend the forums are encouraged to meet with the individuals representing their target schools in order to learn more about the program’s curriculum, facilities, research and clinical programs and student body. Although attendees are advised that the representatives are not there to evaluate the candidacy of prospective applicants, some individuals may find it helpful to ask questions about the school’s qualifications and student body profile. In order to make the most of a forum experience, and because of the large number of participating schools, individuals registered for the event are encouraged to spend some time narrowing down their list of target programs ahead of time.

In addition to hosting school representatives, the forums also arrange several general workshops and discussions. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis; attendees should review the day’s schedule in advance to ensure that they are able to attend the meetings that most interest them. Among the events planned are the workshops “About the LSAT” and “Financing a Legal Education.” The workshops and seminars are designed to help students gain insights and strategies for the upcoming application process.

The forums, which tend to attract large crowds, are generally held in hotel ballrooms. Each school is allotted a table, which is attended by at least one representative and generally stocked with admissions materials, viewbooks and current application forms. For the sake of convenience, visitors are given a forum map with the location of each school in attendance. Last year, 190 schools attended at least one event; because of this, many attendees report spending the entire day at the event.

The LSAC forums are free, but interested individuals are still encouraged to register early in order to save time at the event and receive any updates about the event. To view the schedule of upcoming forums, and to review the list of last year’s participating schools, visit the LSAC website.

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# posted by admin @ 10:42 am in Events, General