Wednesday, April 30, 2008

First-Year $10,000 Fellowships
& Paid Summer Jobs

First-year law students have until May 15 to submit an application for one of six $10,000 fellowships offered by Reed Smith toward their second-year of schooling.

The fellowships are designed for first years who have "demonstrated excellent scholarship while overcoming economic or social adversity," according to Tyree P. Jones, Reed Smith's director of global diversity.

In addition to the money grant, the fellowships include paid summer associate positions at nine of the firm's offices - Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Va., and Falls Church, Va.

In applying, students must complete two personal statements: one describing how they overcame significant adversity, the other detailing their involvement in extracurricular and community volunteer work.

Applications are available here.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Opportunities with the Department of Justice

We recently received an email from the Department of Justice and we thought we would share it with you:

NEW FOR 2008-2009!

There are exciting new developments in the Attorney General’s Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program! Highlights include:

An earlier application deadline and a faster review and selection process.
- Don’t miss the September 2, 2008 application deadline.
- Candidates selected for Honors Program (HP) interviews will be notified on or about September 19, 2008. Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) candidates will be notified on or about September 23, 2008.
- Government-funded HP interviews will be scheduled October 6-20, 2008. SLIP interviews, mostly telephonic, will begin following notification.
- Most offers will be issued by late October.

Four United States Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) are formal HP participants this year, hiring approximately 16 entry-level attorneys. Applicants interested in becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) will be able to designate the “U.S. Attorney’s Office” as one of their employment preferences, then, later in the application, select the specific offices. Due to the level of responsibility held by AUSAs, these opportunities are only available to applicants who are admitted to a bar or, in some cases, who have taken a summer 2008 bar examination with results due in fall 2008. Current law students (pre-J.D.) are not eligible. Participating USAOs are:

- The Central District of California, Los Angeles, CA.
- The Southern District of California, San Diego, CA.
- The Western District of Michigan, Grand Rapids, MI.
- The Middle District of Florida, Orlando, FL.
- EOUSA, Washington, D.C., with possible assignments nationwide.

The USAO for the District of Wyoming is the very first USAO to become a formal SLIP participant and it’s offering a position in one of the Nation’s most scenic national parks. Hiring for Cheyenne, WY, or Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park; the Summer Intern will assist with criminal and civil cases in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne or will assist in the prosecution of a range of misdemeanors in Yellowstone National Park.

Civil Division applicants will be able to designate specific sections of interest.

Executive Office of Immigration Review applicants will be able to designate geographic areas of preference by city and state, and comment on any geographic restrictions on their assignment.

The Honors Program application has been expanded to permit applicants serving in post-J.D. legal fellowships to apply online on a conditional basis. The Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management will determine whether an exception to policy will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Please visit the Department of Justice website for details.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Interested in Adoption and Child Welfare Law?

The Summer Adoption Law Institute (SALI) will take place August 4 through 8 at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. SALI is an intensive one-week Adoption Law class for credit open to law students from across the country. In addition to traditional coursework, students will hear from exciting guest speakers and will participate in practical exercises. A few of the guest speakers that have committed to SALI are: Professor B.J. Jones, Director of the Tribal Judicial Institute at the University of North Dakota School of Law and Irene Steffas, AAAA member.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Law Students: Is Internet Obsession Affecting Your Productivity?

In the latest issue of Law Crossing Newswire, we find this article:

"With the Internet so accessible today, are younger generations relying too much on technology as a distraction? After all, students know all too much about the temptations of the Internet. With emerging Internet-based social networking groups becoming more popular with students, are we becoming a society that is consumed by the Internet? Read on to find out more about how Internet accessibility can affect law students and an Internet addiction boot camp that was launched in South Korea.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, "surveys fielded in 2006 show that Internet penetration among adults in the U.S. has hit an all-time high."

We are bombarded with all the information the Internet provides. Whether it be a healthcare answer or the latest celebrity gossip, we use the Internet to gain access to almost everything. As a law student, if you sit in class all day with a computer that has access to Wi-Fi, you may be susceptible to the lure of the Internet."

To read more, go here.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Make a Video. Win $10,000.

From Access Group:

Enter for a chance to win a $10,000 Scholarship to Law School in Access Group’s One Less Worry Contest.

Chances are it’s 2 a.m. You’re buried in your law books, on your second pot of coffee. Welcome to the life of a law student.

We know you have a lot of worries. Studying. Clerkships. The bar. Professors. Time management. Your finances. The good news is that we can help you with that last one--to the tune of $10,000. So, who are we? Access Group, a nonprofit student loan company helping law students like you achieve your hopes and dreams with no worries.

Here’s the brief.

Grab a video camera and make a video no longer than 4 minutes telling us what worries you in law school. Upload your video to YouTube and complete the entry form using the link by June 15, 2008. Our Access Group panel will choose 10 finalists and voting will begin July 1. You, your friends, your family, classmates, whoever, will vote to decide the winner of a $10,000 scholarship to law school. The contest starts March 10, 2008, and the winner will be announced on August 1, 2008.

See official rules for eligibility and judgment criteria.

Friday, April 4, 2008

On Better Writing . . .

The Pitfalls
of Compound Words


A compound word joins two or more words to express a single thing and can be a source of anxiety for careful writers. How do we know when to spell them as as separate words ("open" compound words), hyphenated, or as one word ("closed" compound words)?

One clue for correct spelling is how a word is pronounced. If the stress is clearly on the first syllable (workday, healthcare, bedspread, and pitfall), the compound is more likely to be closed. If the words carry the same stress, the compound is more likely to be open (ball game, iron ore). Compounds containing human suffixes, like man, woman, or person, are usually closed (policewoman, fireman, and busboy; but note the exception, flower girl).

The combination of an adjective and a noun is usually open, as in hot pad and deep freeze, except when the combination takes on a meaning distinct from the two words used, as in blueprint and drywall. When a noun is joined with a preceding preposition or adverb, the compound is usually closed, as in upswing, downtown, and underwear. But when the independent meaning is weaker, the compound is typically open, as in down payment.

Finally, when words are of equal importance, use a dash (writer-philosopher, secretary-treasurer, foot-pounds). Also, when the noun is joined with a gerund, the compound is usually hyphenated (charity-giving and house-raising), but note the closed terms such as lawmaking and housecleaning.

For podcasts on writing and grammar tips by Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, go here.

For 40+ Tips to Improve your Grammar and Punctuation, go here.