Friday, August 29, 2008

Any Future Trademark Practitioners Out There?

The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a not-for-profit membership association of more than 5,500 trademark owners and professionals, from more than 190 countries, dedicated to the support and advancement of trademarks and related intellectual property as elements of fair and effective national and international commerce.

The Association was founded in 1878 by 17 merchants and manufacturers who saw a need for an organization “to protect and promote the rights of trademark owners, to secure useful legislation and to give aid and encouragement to all efforts for the advancement and observance of trademark rights.” After 125 years, INTA continues its mission to represent the trademark community, shape public policy and advance professional knowledge and development.

Law Student membership is $25. Benefits of membership:

The Trademark Reporter: Bimonthly journal containing articles that contribute to the scholarly discussion and exploration of all aspects of trademark law.

INTA Bulletin: Biweekly newsletter with up-to-date news on Association issues, trends in trademark law practice and procedure, and legislative activity and business developments. Student members receive the INTA Bulletin as an electronic newsletter via email and can also access it online.

Practitioner’s Guide to the Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol: Searchable online database of practical information on the local application of both treaties in the member countries.

International Opposition Guide: Searchable online database that allows comparative analysis of the availability and feasibility of trademark opposition in 130 jurisdictions worldwide.

Country Guides: Searchable online database of current information on trademark filing, prosecution, registration and maintenance in more than 90 jurisdictions.

Trademark Matters: Online news service that brings together the latest trademark news and case law information from more than 4,000 sources.

INTA Membership Directory: Provides easy access to trademark owners, counsel and service firms worldwide.

TM Topics List: The TMTopics email discussion list is a free forum where more than 1,000 subscribers from top-level corporations, law firms and academia exchange comments, questions and ideas via email on intellectual property-related topics.

And more!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Suffolk County
Women's Bar Association Event

(Click on the image to make it larger.)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Interested in Public Defender Work?

PSLawNet, that great resource of public interest and government opportunities and organizations, has created a new Public Defender Handbook for students looking for public defender internships and post-graduate jobs. You can download the Handbook here.

The Handbook has two main sections: 1) FAQ's about the hiring process for internships and permanent jobs, with very specific examples of simulations and hypothetical questions; and 2) a listing and brief description (e.g., application process, training provided, etc.) of the major public defender offices that regularly hire post-graduate attorneys.

This is a great resource for those interested in criminal defense work. Check it out!

Alumni Mentor Program

The Office of Alumni Relations and the Career Services Office are co-sponsoring an Alumni Mentor Program, designed to connect students with alumni mentors in specific practice areas. Students fill out a short application, designating their three top practice areas and geographical preferences, and they will be paired with alumni to talk about the real world of legal practice.

The specific contours of the mentor-mentee relationship will be determined by both parties, but mentors frequently have their mentees trail them in court or at client conferences, talk about career options over lunch, discuss how employers view different kinds of experience, and other activities. The Program is a great way to meet lawyers in practice areas which interest you and to get pointers as to what practitioners are looking for when they hire interns and attorneys. While the Mentor Program is not an employment program, mentors often provide their mentees with employment advice.

Alumni Mentor Program applications are available in the Development Office on the fourth floor or in the Career Services Office, and they may be returned to either office. Alternatively, you may review and print out the application here. The deadline to return your completed application is September 15.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

New Graduates: Young Lawyers Connect

The September 2008 issue of the New York City Bar Association newsletter for new attorneys, Young Lawyers Connect, contains a wealth of interesting information, tips, and invitations to networking events.

One of the newsletter's articles is entitled Job Hunting in a Down Market, by Susan Manch. It should be read by all law students and new grads looking for a legal position.You can read the article here.

In addition, the Bar Association offers a free (for members; $25 for non-members) networking series entitled First Thursdays. The next First Thursday even is a cocktail reception on September 4, 2008. Register for the reception here.

Department of Justice Application Deadline

A reminder!!! Time is short!!!!!

The Department of Justice application deadline for both the Attorney General's Honors Program (post-graduate) and the Summer Law Intern Program is September 2, 2008. Details on the Honors Program application process can be found here. Details on the Summer Law Intern Program application process can found here.

Monday, August 25, 2008

NYC Public Service Career Reception

Public Service Career Reception
Thursday, August 28, 2008, 6:00-8:30 p.m.

NYC Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street, New York, NY (between 5th & 6th Avenue).


All law students, including first-year students, are invited to attend this amazing career fair event at the New York City Bar Association to meet and mingle with dozens and dozens of public interest and government employers as they try to recruit you to work for them. Many Touro Law Center students attended last year, so don't miss out this year. Dress is business casual. Bring copies of your resume.

Please speak with Tom Maligno in the Public Advocacy Center for more information.

Students will register at the door. There is no need to register ahead of time.

Sponsored by Fordham University and co-sponsored by twenty-two New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut law schools, including Touro Law Center.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Gould Law Library is Blogging!

The blogosphere just got a little bit larger with the recent introduction of the Touro Law Center's Gould Law Library blog. The blog offers students a quick-start site for helpful research and writing links and also interesting posts concerning information that will make your life a little bit easier.

One of the blog's posts has a link to a tour of the library. You can take the tour here.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Overloaded with Student Debt?

Touro Law Center Professor Meredith Miller has a blog entitled The Slippery Slope, a regular podcast serious on interesting areas in the law. Professor Miller's most recent podcast concerns federal legislation that is meant to help with student loan debt load. The description of this very interesting podcast as taken from Professor Miller's blog is:

A recent podcast featured a conversation with Heather Jarvis, Senior Program Manager for Law School Advocacy at Equal Justice Works. Heather is a national expert on educational debt and financial barriers facing law school graduates.

Student debt isn't quite a fun topic, but it is an important one. In the coming weeks, many students will begin their legal education, taking on a burdensome pile of debt and the attendant anxiety about paying it back. Thanks to Heather's efforts, law students and graduates can be a little less anxious.

Heather has been a tireless advocate for the new federal loan forgiveness law, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act ("CCRAA"), which was signed into law in September 2007. She is fluent in this complex rubric, and the interview is overflowing with indispensable information for anyone with student loan debt, anyone about to incur student loan debt, and anyone advising or mentoring someone with student loan debt.

Because income based repayment is not limited to public service work, it is worth listening even if you are in the private sector. And, it is especially important to listen if you work in public service, which is broadly defined by the statute. If you follow all of the rules outlined, you could be eligible for loan forgiveness in 10 years.

Our conversation focuses on navigating the complicated waters of the CCRAA. Topics include: eligibility for income based repayment, the statute's definition of "financial hardship," eligibility for loan forgiveness, what constitutes "public service work" under the CCRAA, career public interest work and ramen noodles. Here's a link that contains more information about the CCRAA and the worksheets and calculators mentioned in the podcast.


You can listen to the podcast here.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

First-Year Orientation
Public Service Project

Every year, a hardcore group of first-year students (and a few faculty members) volunteer for a public service project during orientation week. This year, students pitched in to do some preservation work on historic buildings owned by the Central Islip Civic Council. Students landscaped, weeded, painted, sanded, and cleaned to make the Council's buildings and the grounds look their best. Kudos go to the students and also to Tom Maligno, Touro's Director of Public Interest and Executive Director of the Public Advocacy Center, for organizing the project.

Here are a few pictures of this year's project and participants:










Interested in International Law?

A law student who is seriously interested in international law should join ASIL, the American Society of International Law.

ASIL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization founded in 1906 and chartered by Congress in 1950. ASIL holds Category II Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies. The Society is headquartered at Tillar House in Washington, D.C.

The Society’s 4,000 members from nearly 100 nations include attorneys, academics, corporate counsel, judges, representatives of governments and nongovernmental organizations, international civil servants, students and others interested in international law. Through meetings, publications, information services and outreach programs, ASIL advances international law scholarship and education for international law professionals as well as for broader policy-making audiences and the public.

The American Society of International Law provides its members with information on the latest developments in international law, access to the larger community of international law professionals, and opportunities for professional development and public outreach. Join one of the most respected international law societies in the world and become part of a tradition of sharing and fostering knowledge of international law that spans more than a century.

Benefits of membership:

* Receive 4 issues of the quarterly American Journal of International Law, 4 issues of the ASIL Newsletter, as well as electronic news items such as IL.post;

* Take advantage of discounts on ASIL Publications and the Annual Meeting;

* Gain access to the online Member Service Center, including the Membership Directory; and

* Participate and network – at conferences, on committees, or in Interest Groups – in your areas of interest or expertise.

Other benefits include eligibility to receive JSTOR for online access to the American Journal of International Law from its first issue. In addition, your membership and contributions support the educational mission of the Society.

Student membership is $35 and you can register here. Needless to say, your membership should be included on your resume in the "Activities" section under the Touro Law Center entry.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Looking for a Topic for a
Research Paper or Writing Competition?

ACS ResearchLink is an innovative on-line resource for the legal community. The project leverages previously untapped resources to generate and share new ideas about important legal issues, while engaging the next generation of lawyers in addressing vital law and policy issues that will shape the future of our country.

ResearchLink collects legal research topics submitted by practitioners for law students to explore in faculty-supervised writing projects for academic credit. Topic authors will receive a copy of the resulting student papers, which ACS will also post in a searchable online library. By connecting law students and faculty with the research needs of public interest organizations and advocates, ResearchLink will become an increasingly comprehensive and powerful engine for change, while also enhancing the relevance and influence of student academic scholarship.

Go here to read ResearchLink FAQs.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

"The Social Network as a Career Safety Net"

On August 13, 2008, the New York Times published an article by Sarah Jane Tribble entitled "The Social Network as a Career Safety Net," in which Ms. Tribble discusses how important social networking sites like LinkedIn can be in the job search process.

LinkedIn is a great resource. It's a networking site like Facebook or MySpace, but on a much more professional level. In fact, CSO created a Touro Law Center Community group which you can join to stay in contact with other members of the Touro community. CSO has a presence on Facebook, too.

Go here to read the entire article.

If you have avoided social-networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook with the excuse that they are the domain of desperate job hunters or attention-seeking teenagers, it’s time to reconsider.

In a world of economic instability and corporate upheaval, savvy professionals like the technology consultant Josh So epitomize the benefits of brushing up your online image and keeping it polished.

When Mr. So, a 32-year-old from Dublin, Calif., learned he had 45 days to find a new job before his company eliminated his division, he turned to friends online.

Within hours of updating his job status on the social-networking site LinkedIn, Mr. So won four job interviews through his contacts there. Within a week, two of the interviews resulted in offers. And within less than a month, his employer counter-offered with a position in another division and a $25,000 bump in his annual salary.

* * *

While it lacks the glamour of more popular sites like MySpace and Facebook, LinkedIn “is the place to be,” said the JupiterResearch media analyst Barry Parr, if you want to make professional contacts online. LinkedIn is a “Chamber of Commerce mixer,” he said.

LinkedIn has more than 25 million members, and it is adding new ones at the rate of 1.2 million a month — or about one new networker every two seconds.

With that kind of mass demographic, LinkedIn is hard to ignore. But with that kind of scale, can it be useful? It can be if you use it judiciously.

* * *

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

"100 Tips and Resources
to be a Happy, Successful Lawyer"

JobProfiles.org is a website which provides a multitude of job descriptions for various career paths and what to expect from each.

On August 11, Job Profiles posted an article by Laura Milligan entitled 100 Tips and Resources to be a Happy, Successful Lawyer. The article lists many useful tips in various broad categories, such as associations, blogs, social networking sites, avoiding burnout, work-life balance, job boards, humor, and more. It is definitely worth a look.

Go here to read the article.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

New Bar Review Course on the Market

The online ABA Journal recently reported this:

Kaplan Offers ‘Full-Service Bar Review’ in Three States

Posted Aug 6, 2008, 01:01 pm CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss

A company that provides bar review courses for the multistate exam will offer state-specific bar review courses in three states.

Kaplan PMBR announced it will offer “full-service bar review” courses in New York, New Jersey and Florida, according to a press release. The Florida program will be available for the winter 2009 bar exam. The New York and New Jersey programs will start in time for the summer 2009 exam.

The exam-prep company will offer features such as online course videos for students who miss lectures, an online quiz builder and personalized study plans.

Go here to read the rest of the article.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

National Security Program

ABA Annual Meeting Program in National Security Law

Sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security

The first 50 attendees receive an advance copy of "Careers in National Security Law", soon to be available through the ABA bookstore.

The program is FREE: no need to register.

Local Police Fighting International Terrorism
Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, Gibson Suite, 2nd Floor
Saturday, August 9, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

What is the appropriate role of cities in national security? Attend this free program for a discussion of the issues raised by increasingly sophisticated intelligence capabilities being developed at the local level in major cities, including a briefing on what cities and local police are doing to fight international terrorism. With particular emphasis on the intelligence activities in the cities of New York and Los Angeles, as well as the role of the FBI and other federal agencies in working with city officials, the program will examine the issues from local and federal law enforcement and intelligence perspectives. How do they interact? Have these cities gone too far?

Moderator: Harvey Rishikof, Professor of Law, National War College, Washington, DC

Panelists: Susan N. Herman, Centennial Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School; Samuel Rascoff, Assistant Professor of Law, New York University, School of Law and former Director of Intelligence Analysis, NYPD; Michael Rolince, Senior Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton and former Chief of the FBI’s International Terrorism Operations Section; John P. Sullivan, Lieutenant, Emergency Operations Bureau, Tactical Planning Unit of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

Postgraduate Fellowships:
Information and Resources

Postgraduate public interest fellowships enable recent graduates to secure entry level positions with nonprofit organizations, government entities, and educational institutions. Typically, fellowships are term-limited opportunities (one to two years) designed to give a recent law graduate or junior attorney experience in public interest practice. A small number of law firms offer public interest fellowships as well. The PSLawNet job database includes over 250 fellowship listings.

Fellows are able to use their legal skills to effect positive change for disadvantaged populations and/or society in general. They generally receive top-rate training and supervision. Also, many organizations use fellowships as a point of entry to continued employment. And, because application processes are so competitive, a fellowship is an impressive credential. So even if continued employment with a host organization does not materialize, a fellow has a strong professional foundation on which to build.

For FAQs on fellowships, go to PSLawNet here. A fellowship deadline calender (many deadlines are in the fall) is here.

CSO Programs for Fall 2008

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Friday, August 1, 2008

Loan Forgiveness Legislation

Last night, both houses of Congress approved the Higher Education Reauthorization and College Opportunity Act of 2008, which includes four new loan forgiveness and repayment programs that benefit public interest lawyers:

The John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act

Providing $10,000 per year in exchange for a one time renewable three-year commitment for state and local prosecutors and public defenders.

The Legal Assistance Loan Repayment Program

Providing $6,000 per year in renewable three year commitments to a maximum of $40,000 for civil legal assistance lawyers.

Loan Forgiveness for Service in Areas of National Public Service

Providing no more than $2,000 per year for five years for Public Sector Employees, including public interest legal services (prosecution, public defense, or legal advocacy in low-income communities at a nonprofit organization).

Perkins Loan Cancellation for Public Service

Providing partial loan cancellation for persons in specified public service jobs including federal public defenders.


The legislation now goes to the president.