Thursday, March 22, 2007

Summer Job Preparation:
Lunch with the Librarians

To help prepare Touro students for summer jobs, the library reference staff will present a series of short lectures in the Barristers’ Dining Room (Room 107, next to the Dining Hall) on Wednesdays from 12:30 – 1:15 p.m. A buffet lunch will be provided for up to 10 students, but you must pre-register for each event by sending an email to James Durham, Head of Public Services, Gould Law Library. Students who do not pre-register are welcome to attend the lectures, but must provide their own lunches. Students who attend these lunches are sure to learn tips and tools-of- the-trade that will wow! their employers. Don't miss this innovative series of lectures!

Wednesday, March 28:
Finding Foreign & International Legal Resources Online
- with Roy Sturgeon.

Wednesday, April 11:
Web Resources for New York Legal Research
– with Christine Morton & Leslie Wong.

Wednesday, April 18:
Survival Skills for Law Clerks and Summer Associates
– with James Durham & Daniel Venditti (Law Clerk to the Honorable Arthur D. Spatt, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York).

Class of 2007

The Real World, Part V

Environmental Law Program

Hofstra Law School
(all law students are invited)

On April 10, 2007, at the inaugural Environmental Law Career Night, law students are invited to hear firsthand from high-ranking attorneys about various opportunities in Environmental Law. The event, hosted by the Hofstra Environmental Law Society, will give students a chance to gain insight into the diverse work of environmental law attorneys, particularly with today's changing views of pressing environmental issues.

Scheduled Speakers:

Walter Mugdan, Director, Division of Environmental Planning and Protection at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

John Byrne, Attorney, New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, Region 2

James Rigano, Partner, Certilman, Balin, Adler & Hyman

Veronica Eady, Senior Staff Attorney, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest

When: Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Where: Leeds, Morelli, & Brown Atrium, Hofstra Law School, 121 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY 11549

RSVP: Michael Caruso (516-353-6921) at MCARUS2@pride.hofstra.edu or Heather Drayton (404-680-3113) at hldrayton@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The New York City Bar Association
Committee on Young Lawyers

The Committee on Young Lawyers is the voice for new lawyers in New York City. Membership is open to New York City Bar members admitted to practice for 8 years or less. Their mission is to promote leadership in our profession by laying a practical foundation for pursuing a rewarding legal career.

They execute their mission through professional development initiatives, public service, and special outreach events. They organize the New York City Bar’s Annual National Moot Court Competition. All members participate in problem drafting, brief grading, and recruiting our pool of local judges for the Competition. They sponsor continuing legal education programs that benefit young lawyers. They sponsor an annual Fall Reception to encourage all young lawyers to actively participate in the New York City Bar’s committees. They also host biannual dinners (generally in December and May) to give their members a chance to interact informally. They partner with other bar associations to promote young lawyer initiatives.

In sum, the Committee is committed to excellence in the ethical practice of law. If you’re interested in joining, or wish to learn more about the Committee’s efforts, please contact them.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Class of 2007: Bar Examination Program

A FREE Program for
New York County Lawyers Association Members

Deconstructing the Bar Exam
March 28, 2007 - 6:00 PM
NYCLA, 14 Vesey Street, NYC

Speakers:

Hon. Bryan R. Williams, Member
New York State Board of Law Examiners

Eileen Shapiro, Senior Bar Examiner
New York State Board of Law Examiners

Sarah Jo Hamilton, Secretary to the Committee
Character and Fitness, Appellate Division, First Department

* Learn specific techniques for increasing your essay scores.
* Learn how to avoid fatal mistakes.
* Learn how graders evaluate the essays.
* Learn strategies for answering difficult questions.
* Learn what you should never, ever include in your essay answer.
* Learn tips that may make the difference between passing & failing.
* Learn how the New York multiple-choice questions are constructed and how to analyze them.
* Learn about character and fitness issues that could affect your
admission to the bar!

RSVP to kwells@nycla.org
or call Katharine at 212-267-6646, ext. 209.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Guest Column: One Kind of Alternative Career

Law Librarian: an Alternative Career Path for the J.D.
By James G. Durham
Head of Public Services, Gould Law Library, Touro Law Center

Many students and staff ask for research assistance in the Reference Office of the Gould Law Library. They may not realize, however, that the reference librarians working in that office attended law school and earned a Juris Doctor degree. These circumstances are not unusual. Reference librarians in academic law libraries typically hold both a law degree and an advanced degree in library science. Law firm librarians typically hold master’s degrees in library science or a law degree (but not both). Professionals who choose this alternative path even have their own organization, the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). The group’s web site contains information for those who are considering law librarianship as a career. Law librarians enjoy research, teaching, technology, and helping others. If you are curious about law librarianship as a career, please feel free to ask our reference librarians for more information about the field and their experience.

Monday, March 12, 2007

AmeriCorps Summer Funding

Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that engages law students to spend their summers serving at nonprofit public interest organizations and allows them to earn a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award voucher upon completion of 300 hours of service. Students must secure a summer placement at a qualifying organization prior to applying for the program. For more information about the program, go here.

The 2007 Summer Corps application will be available Wednesday, March 21 on the Equal Justice Works website beginning at noon EDT. As part of the Equal Justice Works Katrina Initiative, preference will be given to projects providing legal assistance to those affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. All 350 slots will be awarded primarily on a first come, first served basis. Demand for this opportunity is very high so students should apply as early as possible. The application closes at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 4.

Students may recieve this grant in addition to Touro Summer felllowships and Work Study.

Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund
Summer & Fall Internships here at TLC

PRLDEF is an independent not-for-profit civil rights litigation-advocacy organization that has defended the equal rights of Latinos since 1972.

PRLDEF’s pan-Latino work fully embraces the diversity of the Latino community – especially the most vulnerable – newest immigrants and the working poor.

Three principles motivate our work and anchor PRLDEF’s exceptional historical role in the Latino civil rights community in the United States and Puerto Rico:

Protecting Civil Rights – impact litigation and advocacy in education, employment, housing, language access, and immigrants’ rights.

Cultivating Latino Leaders – through decades of legal education program services to hundreds of aspiring lawyers. In 2005, we launched LawBound – a pre-law summer program designed to identify and nurture students in their college careers.

Increasing Civic Participation – ensuring that minority and limited or non-English speaking voters have access to the polls and exercise their enfranchisement right, by using the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) in litigation in Florida and the northeast U.S., advancing election reform, and promoting reauthorization of the VRA.

PRLDEF INTERNSHIPS

PRLDEF’s 2007 Law Internship Program requires a minimum commitment of 10 weeks for the summer, starting on the first Monday of June. During the academic year, interns are expected to commit 10-12 hours a week. Office hours are Monday through Fridays, 9:00AM to 5:00 PM, with flex-time available.

If you are a Law Student at Touro, you will be considered for PRLDEF’s Civil Rights Project at Touro. The main focus of this project will be to lend support to PRLDEF’s ongoing work in developing and advancing advocacy and litigation to protect Immigrants’ Rights in Long Island. Students will be exposed to client interviewing techniques, fact-finding, analyzing proposed ordinances and policies affecting the immigrant community, investigating possible discriminatory enforcement of local laws in Long Island, and researching the claims of discriminatory practices. Participants will also have the opportunity to assist in ongoing cases in PRLDEF’s legal docket. Interns will conduct legal research on a variety of civil rights issues, draft memos and pleadings, interface with clients, and gain exposure to impact litigation.

PRLDEF’s Summer Law Interns are also provided access to a series of lunch-time meetings in a prestigious tradition called the LDFs’ Summer Brown Bag Law Seminars (co-sponsored with our counterparts, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and Asian–American Legal Defense & Education Fund, in the Public Interest Law Center). The series brings together a network of guest lawyers, activists, academics and jurists to discuss current developments in Affirmative Action, Race/Civil Rights, Voting Rights, Criminal Justice, post- 9-11 Civil Liberties and Immigrant Rights, Education Rights, International Human Rights, & Judicial Fellowships.

Please note that PRLDEF does not provide any funding for internships at this time. Applicants should explore the availability of fellowships and/or financial aid through their law schools, local bar, and alumni programs. Independent academic credit can be arranged.

HOW TO APPLY

PRLDEF selects a small group of 4 to 6 law interns each semester. Your application packet should include:

  • Cover letter — state which internship period you are applying for. Tell us why you would like to be chosen for this opportunity. Detail any civil rights interest you may have. If applying for a part-time internship, indicate which days and how many hours of the semester for which you are available.
  • Two (2) copies of your resume.
  • A legal writing sample of between 7 to 10 pages.

If you are selected, we will arrange a mutually convenient date and time for in-person interviews. Out-of-state applicants may be interviewed by phone.

DEADLINES

March 30, 2007 for Summer Internships

August 10, 2007 for Fall Internships

PRLDEF

99 Hudson St, 14 Floor

NY NY 10013

Attn: Law Internships

Emailed Applications Preferred

Please send to: Marisabel_Kanioros@prldef.org

Sunday, March 11, 2007

The Real Wold, Part III

Friday, March 9, 2007

Want to Work in a Small Law Firm?

The Quiet Majority: The Real Deal on Small Firm Practice

Hosted by the New York City Bar Association

Monday, March 26, 2007 6:30 pm
House of the Association, 42 West 44th Street

If only 10% of attorneys practice in a large firm setting, where are the other 90%? A panel discussion aimed at giving law students a glimpse into the world of small firm practice.

Moderator:

PAULA A. FRANZESE
Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law

Speakers:

MELINDA D. MIDDLEBROOKS
Managing Partner, Middlebrooks Shapiro & Nachbar, P.C.

MERCEDES S. CANO
Proprietor, Law Offices of Mercedes S. Cano

Sponsored by:
Committee on Law Student Perspectives, Derryl Zimmerman, Chair

Strategies for a Career
in Intellectual Property Law

Hosted by the New York City Bar Association

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 6:30-8:00 pm
House of the Association, 42 West 44th Street

Ever thought about a career in intellectual property law but were unsure that you possess the qualifications that employers are looking for? For those who are contemplating entering the practice of IP law, this program will be very informative. A diverse panel of practitioners, including individuals from intellectual property boutiques, in-house corporation counsel and general practice law firms, will speak about their day-to-day work and share their varied career strategies about becoming an IP attorney. This program will particularly address the value of a technical background, entry into the practice, litigation versus prosecution, the patent bar, and defining the practice within areas of specialty. All are welcome to attend.

MODERATOR:

Marc A. McKithen
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

Speakers:

Theresa Conduah
Associate, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

Dr. Samuel Duncan
Bristol-Myers Squibb

Alozie Etufugh
Law Offices of Alozie N. Etufugh, PLLC

Joanna Garelick
Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto

Duane W. Johnson
The Legal Aid Society

Amanda C. Samuel
Colgate-Palmolive Company

Sponsored by:
The Committee on Law Student Perspectives, Derryl Zimmerman, Chair

Members of the Association, their guests and all other interested persons are invited to attend. There is no fee for attending the program, however registration is recommended. You may RSVP at LSPRSVP@AOL.COM . A networking reception will follow. Refreshments will be served.

ABA Shows Touro Law Center's Award-Winning Documentary





Powerful Film on the Judiciary in Nazi Germany
Spurs Examination of Threats to Rule of Law

The sobering documentary film “Hitler’s Courts: The Betrayal of the Rule of Law in Nazi Germany,” which explores the complicity of the judiciary in Nazi atrocities, was the sobering prelude to a panel discussion Friday of how democracies can strengthen themselves against attacks on the rule of law.

“The film’s purpose has a relevancy in this time and this place,” said Professor Sol Wachler, Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in Central Islip, N.Y., during the ABA Midyear Meeting program “Subverting the Rule of Law: A Case Study and Discussion,” noting the ABA’s continuing efforts to help the legal community remain vigilant to threats against the rule of law.

Premiered at the Midyear Meeting, “Hitler’s Courts,” produced by the Touro Law Center and created by documentarians Joshua M. Greene and Shiva Kumar, features archival footage, rarely seen photographs and interviews with leading voices in international law.

Following the screening, panelist Yabo Lin, a member of the ABA-Asia Law Initiative Council, spoke of growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution—a time that saw “the complete destruction of the rule of law.” On a fundamental level, the people came to regard the law as a tool for accomplishing what they considered right or wrong, rather than a tool for maintaining an independent legal system of checks and balances, said Lin.

Professors Stephen Saltzburg of George Washington University Law Center and Luz E. Nagle of Stetson University College of Law joined Lin, Wachler and audience members in a free-wheeling discussion of natural law versus written law, and other relevant issues.

The program was sponsored by the ABA Criminal Justice Section.

Intended for use in high schools, universities and law schools, “Hitler’s Courts” is available through Touro Law Center, 225 Eastview Drive, Central Islip, N.Y.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Masur Fellowship in Civil Liberties

The Nation Institute is now accepting applications for the 2007 Robert Masur Fellowship in Civil Liberties.

The fellowship competition is open to first-year law students who intend to carry out significant activities during the summer in the areas of civil rights and/or civil liberties. Proposed activities may include a writing or research project, work with a public interest organization in the areas of civil rights or civil liberties, work on a civil rights or civil liberties law case under the supervision of a faculty member or lawyer, or any other work in the areas of civil rights or civil liberties. Fellowship recipient receives a $1,000 honorarium.

Applicants should send a proposal, no more than two pages, describing his or her intended summer project, along with a resume, a brief letter of recommendation, and the name of their faculty or organizational sponsor to:

Robert Masur Fellowship
The Nation Institute
116 East 16th Street, 8th floor
New York, NY 10003

All applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2007. For more information, see www.nationinstitute.org or call 212-209-5447.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Two Week Recap

Saturday, February 24, 2007
Career Planning for Evening Students
International Law Web Resources
PSLawNet.org: The Essential Facts
Pursue Your Dreams, Manage Your Expectations

Sunday, February 25, 2007
New York State Senate Fellowships
International Trademark Association

Monday, February 26, 2007
International Law Program on March 15th
Marketing Yourself to Small and Mid-Size Law Firms
Are You Ready for Your Close-Up?

Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The Real World
Women and the Law

Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Your Second Summer Job Search

Thursday, March 1, 2007
New York State District Attorney Loan Forgiveness Program

Friday, March 2, 2007
Looking for Work in a Faraway Place?
Check your Touro Email Account
Resume/Cover Letter Workshop

Saturday, March 3, 2007
Class of 2007 - It's Time
The Real World, Part II

Monday, March 5, 2007
Washington D.C. Funds for New Attorneys
LGBT Career Fair
Public Interest Speaker Series
International Law Program

Monday, March 5, 2007

Washington, D.C. Funds New Attorney Positions

The D.C. Council has taken the unprecedented step of making $3.2 million in funding available for the provision of civil legal services in D.C. As a result, the D.C. legal services community expects to have approximately 25 new job openings for attorneys in the coming months. The positions are expected to focus in particular on providing more legal services in housing-related matters and increasing the availability of legal services in underserved communities. Portions of the appropriation are also designated for the creation of a shared interpreter bank and for a poverty lawyers loan repayment assistance program. With D.C. government support and with private funds, the D.C. Bar Foundation has initiated a law student loan repayment program, available to legal services attorneys meeting income guidelines. For more information on the loan repayment program, go to the D.C. Bar Foundation website.

Funding decisions will be made in March 2007, with announcements in April and, we anticipate, job postings by late April/early May. As soon as they become available, job descriptions will be posted on PSLawNet and on the website of the Washington Council of Lawyers.

LGBT Career Fair



Additional information will soon be available here.

Public Interest Speaker Series


The Mercy Advocacy program (MAP), a law office established in 1997, provides free legal representation to resolve civil legal emergencies for poor people and to promote systemic changes favorable to the poor on Long Island. MAP is a part of Mercy Haven.

Mercy Haven, Inc was founded in 1985 to provides safe, clean and affordable transitional and permanent housing for the mentally ill, homeless and the elderly. The organization also provides supportive services such as daily living skills training, restorative mental health services, case management, and legal services on civil legal emergencies.

Mercy Haven perceived a growing gap between available resources and the need for free legal advice and representation for the poor on civil legal emergencies, such as securing and maintaining government benefits, denial of access to medical care and prevention of homelessness. For example, Mercy Haven found a financial incentive for local government to deny applications for Public Assistance, Medicaid and Food Stamps, and many barriers in the application process. These factors make it difficult for the poor, particularly for disabled persons, to qualify for and/or retain subsistence benefits. Yet, there is a dearth of competent lawyers available to represent clients in these situations.

In response, Mercy Haven created the Mercy Advocacy Program in October 1997 to respond to this ongoing crisis of inaccessible legal services for the poor on Long Island. MAP also empowers the poor by providing training and consultation to agencies, client groups and their families on the civil rights of the poor, especially in the areas of subsistence benefits, access to health care, prevention of homelessness and pursuit of gainful employment.

Since October 1997, MAP has increased the availability of legal services to the poor on Long Island. By June 1999 the law office had provided free legal services on 333 civil legal emergencies. MAP has secured or maintained clients' eligibility for Public Assistance, Social Security Disability and SSI Disability, Medicaid and Medicare and the Food Stamp program. Unscrupulous operators of adult homes, who confiscate the Social Security and Veterans benefits, are being confronted with the illegality of their practices. The law office also encourages the disabled who are on SSI/SSD to return to work through Plans to Achieve Self Support and canceling overpayments.


Join us on Thursday, March 8, 2007, from 12:30 - 1:30, in Room 312, as John Castellano, Executive Director of MAP, talks about opportunities in his office.

International Law Program


Professor Matthew Wilson is a resident law professor and Associate Dean overseeing the law program at Temple University, Japan Campus. He also serves as General Counsel of the Tokyo campus handling corporate, intellectual property, employment, and other matters. Professor Wilson draws upon over fifteen years international experience in legal and corporate matters involving Asia. He amassed this experience through his legal and professional activities in Japan, the United States, the Philippines, and the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Prior to joining the law faculty, Professor Wilson engaged in private international law practice as an attorney at Akerman Senterfitt, a major full-service Florida-based law firm, and as former general counsel for a telecommunications firm. As legal counsel to domestic and multinational corporations, Professor Wilson's legal activities have encompassed complex commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation and transactions, as well as cross-border and general corporate matters. He also has extensive experience working in Japan for a large electronics manufacturer, hydrological and meteorological instruments maker, and a multinational medical devices company.

Professor Wilson teaches courses on Japanese and comparative law, international litigation and transnational dispute resolution, civil procedure, corporate law, and electronic commerce law. He speaks frequently in Japan and the United States on transnational and U.S. legal matters and has appeared on primetime Japanese network television as a legal expert on multiple occasions. Professor Wilson has also guest lectured about the practice of international law at over seventy U.S. law schools. He is also an active advisor to the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) regarding proposed judicial reforms and the implementation of jury trials in Japan in 2009.

Thursday March 15, 2007

12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Rom 410

Refreshments will be served

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Class of 2007 - It's Time

Hey gang...

I know all of you are busy and that you have a million things on your individual plates, but we have to meet as a group. There are things you need to know about your post-graduate job search so that you can plan your time over the next several very important months. You need to know what you can do now and what you will have to wait for, so that you can focus on studying for the Bar Exam.

In addition, I have started a new program this year, called ApplyForMe (I know, a little cheesy sounding). Here's the deal. You tell us where you want to work (Nassau, Suffolk, NYC, etc.), the kind of employer for whom you would like to work (firm, government, public interest, etc.), and the practice areas that interest you (real estate, family, litigation, etc.); you provide us with a resume and cover letter (via email, so we can send it to employers by email when neceesary); and we will apply to jobs for you as they come into our office while you are studying for the Bar (when you job search, justifiably, takes a back seat). We will fax or email your resumes out the day we get the job listing.

Please, make the time for me. Know what you are doing so that you can enter the Bar study period with confidence.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

12:30 - 1:30 & 5:30 - 6:30

Room 310

Thank you.

---Dean Gilbert

The Real World, Part II

Students who attended Part I of this five-part series loved it. Don't miss out on learning how to deal with real world problems encountered in the practice of law.

The Real World
is sponsored by CSO, the Office of Clinical Programs, and the Suffolk County Bar Association.

This week, you will meet two extraordinary attorneys as they discuss how to deal with adversaries who are incompetent or otherwise unable to understand how to advance the ball. While in a litigation setting, an incompetent adversary might be to your benefit, such incompetence will not be in your interests or the interests of your client if your adversary does not know when it is time to settle a case. In addition, in a transactional setting, an incompetent adversary may require you to do most of the major lifting to advance a deal you both would like to see get done.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Looking for Work in a Faraway Place?

Every year, a number of students seek either a summer or a post-gaduate job away from the greater New York City metropolitan area. While CSO receives job listings from employers in distant geographical areas, there is no doubt that law schools in those areas will have a greater number. Wouldn't it be great to be able to visit another law school and utilize its Career Services Office as you use Touro's CSO?

Well, you can. Most law schools have entered into agreements with each other, whereby students from one school can use the CSO facilities of another school. The system is known as reciprocity. You apply for reciprocity by providing CSO with certain information, we reach out to the law school(s) you have selected, and we wait for those law schools to respond.

Each law school has its own policy. Some law schools hand out internet ID's and passwords to use their online job databases, while other law schools require you to visit them and be logged in by a staff member. A grant of reciprocity is typically for a time period certain, so you should not apply for it too soon. In addition, the reciprocity system shuts down between August 1 and December 1 each year. A grant of reciprocity typcially is not available with another law school in the NYC area.

So, if you are thinking about a summer or post-graduate job in a faraway place, speak with a CSO counselor to learn more about the reciprocity system.

Check your Touro Email Account

CSO and other TLC offices often email all students through a global email address in order to inform you of upcoming events and time sensitive information. If you have selected to forward your Touro email to a third-party email host -- such as hotmail, AOL, or gmail -- please be careful. Many third-party email hosts will not accept large numbers of forwarded emails (hundreds of students forward their Touro email), even from educational institutions, because their email filters interpret the mass forwarding as spam.

Unless you check your Touro email account on a regular basis, do not be surprised if the person sitting next to you in class is receiving important information, while your third-party email provider has blocked you from receiving it.

Please check your Touro email account every day.

Resume/Cover Letter Workshop

Get your job search documents in top shape!

CSO will conduct a resume and cover letter workshop on Wednesday, March 14, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., in Room 408.

Evening students are particularly encouraged to attend, although the program is open to all.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

New York State District Attorney Office Loan Forgiveness Program

For those of you considering a career as an Assistant District Attorney, keep in mind that the State of New York has a loan forgiveness program for those who have been prosecutors for at least four years. The program is meant to help retain experienced staff members. As you can imagine, there are various eligibility requirements for the program.

The maximum lifetime total award an eligible attorney may receive under this program is $20,400 or the cumulative total of their eligible student loan expenses at the time they first apply, whichever is less. Eligible student loan expenses will be reduced by any grants, loan forgiveness, or similar reductions to the attorney’s indebtedness that the attorney has received or shall receive, including, but not limited to, law school loan forgiveness and public service scholarships.

Awards will be paid in disbursements of $3,400 for each year of qualified service immediately preceding the application for payment.

For additional information, go here.

Important Comment:

A student has posted a comment to this posting which should be repeated here:

zevlav said...

"On a related issue, the ABA is currently soliciting personal stories of how law school debt is affecting our career decisions and lives to be used in conjunction with lobbying Congress to pass loan assistance legislation. Tell your story here."

Thanks, "zevlav"!