Summer Fellowships in Labor Law

The Peggy Browning Fund provides unique opportunities for law students to work for economic and social justice. The Fund accomplishes this goal through a variety of activities, including the sponsorship of legal fellowships and workers' rights conferences for law students. In so doing, it is their belief that law students who are exposed to these positive experiences will have an increased understanding and appreciation for the issues facing workers and what representing working people is all about.

The Fund's Fellowship Program provides students with an opportunity to work for non-profit labor-related organizations. Their office works closely with participating law schools in soliciting qualified and committed students for their programs. Additionally, they provide networking and other support services to the selected Fellows. Each year the Fund brings the Fellows and their supervisors from the mentor organizations together for a half-day workshop. The mentor organizations present worker rights/labor issues facing their clients; students outline the work projects accomplished during their respective fellowships.

In 2009, The Peggy Browning Fund will support between 40 and 50 funded Summer Fellowships in labor-related organizations throughout the United States. The Summer Fellowship stipends are for a minimum of $4,500 per student for a ten-week employment period. In many cases Mentor Organizations will supplement the stipend.

Students interested in applying must submit applications both to the listed organization and to The Peggy Browning Fund. Applications must be received no later than Thursday, January 15, 2009. The Fund aims to notify students selected for these positions in mid to late February.

For more information about these summer fellowships, go here.

"Author Blames Yale and ‘Having a Good Time’ for Failing NY Bar"

An article by Debra Cassens Weiss in the online ABA Journal reports on a Yale law student's trouble with passing the New York State Bar Examination:

A famous Yale Law School graduate who has written books about her struggles with depression and addiction has failed the New York bar exam.

Elizabeth Wurtzel blamed the failure partly on Yale Law School and partly on her study habits, the New York Observer reports. Wurtzel has written the books Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America; Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women; and More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction.

The article reports that a New York Observer reporter informed Wurtzel about the Bar Exam results:

"Wow, really? I had no idea. I didn't even see that. That's interesting," she told the reporter. "It's a weird test. I think when you go to a different school than Yale you are better prepared for it. It was definitely hard. I guess when I should have been studying, I was kind of having a good time."

For the rest of the article, go here.

Do You Really Enjoy Legal Research?

In this information-saturated age, becoming a law librarian can be a satisfying and productive career.

What do law librarians do? Law librarians are professionally trained people who work in various legal settings, including law schools, private law firms, and government libraries.

The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) has published a booklet, entitled Finding Your Way in the Information Age that explains the many roles of law librarians as well as the kinds of skills needed to be successful in this profession. You can request a free copy from AALL.

If you are interested in learning about the profession, you should also look at the two major publications of the American Association of Law Libraries, AALL Spectrum and the Law Library Journal. AALL is a professional organization representing 5,000 law librarians. The association exists to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the public, the legal community and the world; to foster the profession of law librarianship; and to provide leadership in the field of legal information. A review of AALLNET will help you understand this profession and the kinds of work we do.

Academic law librarians with JD and MLS (Master of Library Science) degrees are currently starting at approximately $60,000 in the New York area. Law Library directors make upwards of $150,000. There is opportunity for continuous advancement in this career. For people who like to do legal research and want to teach, this might be the perfect career.

What are they thinking?

An article by Martha Neil in the online ABA Journal focuses on how the tightening economy is having an effect on large firm events:

Plans for the annual holiday party at White & Case were made months before the firm announced this week that it would lay off 70 lawyers and 100 staff members.

So the 2,400-lawyer international firm will be going ahead with the event at a midtown Manhattan restaurant, reports the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. However it's cutting back this year and plans to spend under $250,000, roughly half of what last year's gala at the United Nations cost.

The article reports that the firm has also done away with the fireworks.

For the rest of the article, go here. The ABA Journal is a great site to keep up to speed on news in the legal profession.

You are invited to the next Partnertrack Event on December 3rd, 2008 which will be held at The Night Hotel (132 West 45th street) from 6:30-8pm (please see the attached invite). For those of you who are unfamiliar with Partnertrack, it is a cocktail event that the chair of the Entertainment, Media, Intellectual Property and Sports Section of the New York County Lawyers’ Association has hosted for the past four years.

The December event will be a Special Holiday Event hosted in conjunction with at least 5 other Committees at NYCLA, so it is sure to be well attended!

Please remember to RSVP to this email address.

Where: NIGHT HOTEL
132 W 45th St., New York, NY

Cost: $5.00 Cover / Cash Bar
When: December 3rd, 2008, 6:30-8pm

Business Law Diversity Clerkship

The American Bar Association's Section on Business Law is sponsoring the Business Law Diversity Clerkship Program, which encourages students to pursue business court clerkship opportunities and to consider careers in the practice of business law. In considering a student's diversity, the Section will give special consideration to individuals who have overcome social or economic disadvantages such as physical disability, financial constraints, or cultural impediments to becoming a law student.

Submission Process:

The objectives of the program include:
• To encourage more diverse law students to apply for clerkship positions
• To foster relationships between business court judges and diverse law students
• To provide students with a foundation in various aspects of business law

Up to nine interns will be given a summer stipend of $6,000 and placed in business court clerkships in the Philadelphia Commerce Court or the Delaware Court of Chancery. Other possible internship locations include New York and Florida.

To apply, students must be Section of Business Law members. For membership information and to join the Section, click here.

Applications for the 2009 program are available here. All application materials must be received on or before Friday, January 30, 2009. More information about the Business Law Diversity Clerkship Program is here.

Pass the Bar Reception

The New York City Bar Association and the New York Law Journal are once again hosting a cocktail reception to honor those who recently passed the bar. This year's annual reception is Thursday, December 4 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the New York City Bar Association at 42 West 44th Street.

The invitation is for everyone who has recently passed the bar; their mentors, co-workers and friends who wish to join in the celebration. This event is an excellent networking opportunity for new attorneys and a great way to catch up with old friends and make new contacts. All attendees will receive gift bags and a chance to win great door prizes.

There is no fee for the event but registration is necessary.

2009 New York City Bar Association Diversity Fellowship Program

In 1991, the New York City Bar Association's Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers established a program of summer clerkships for first-year students to address the under-representation of minority lawyers in law firms and corporate law departments. The New York City Bar Diversity Fellowship Program is available to all underrepresented populations in the field of law. The goal of the Fellowship Program is to offer first-year students from underrepresented populations a unique summer employment opportunity in large law firms and corporate law departments.

Applications will be available in the Career Services Office on Monday, November 24th. Please contact Erica Edwards-O'Neal for more information

Inns of Court

Everyone is familiar with the demands of law school. Many students also work as part-time interns throughout the school year. It’s hard to squeeze in any time for sleep, let alone networking.

According to several studies, over 60% of all jobs are found through networking. Membership in an American Inn of Court is the ultimate networking forum for meeting attorneys with hiring authority and/or input into hiring decisions. Furthermore, at some future point in time, many students will find themselves appearing before the judges they meet at the Inn.

An American Inn of Court (“AIC”) is an amalgam of no more than 80 members including judges, experienced lawyers, law professors, less experienced lawyers, and law students serving as a forum at which CLE dinner programs are held, featuring prominent speakers and informative seminars. It is the only legal organization in the United States dedicated to the enhancement of civility, ethics, and legal excellence. The main objective is establishing a society of legal professionals who work together to promote excellence in all fields of law. These events are organized and attended by practicing lawyers, judges and law students.

The format has proved very successful at developing camaraderie among the bench, bar and students. The Inn programs are designed specifically to promote interaction among members of the bar and judiciary, and lasting mentoring relationships are encouraged and fostered.

Some of you may be familiar with or are members of the Theodore Roosevelt Inn of Court in Nassau County. The Alexander Hamilton Inn of Court in Suffolk County was active until three years ago. Touro has taken the lead in reviving the Inn to provide students with this exceptional opportunity to get to know attorneys and judges on a more personal level. Many of the attorneys have hiring authority, so this is a convenient way to meet them long before it’s time to find a full-time position as an associate in a law firm. Best of all, membership is free! Note: Students are not restricted from membership in both Inns. In fact, we encourage students to double their networking opportunities by joining both Inns.

More information on the history and objectives of the organization can be found at www.innsofcourt.org.

Programs will be held in the Faculty Conference Room at Touro Law Center. Dinner is served at the beginning of each meeting. Topics for each program are carefully selected so that current areas of interest in the law are addressed in the context of everyday experiences which attorneys face in their practice.

Programs are generally created by a team of seasoned attorneys, less experienced attorneys, judges and law students. However, given the urgency of reviving the Inn as soon as possible, some members of the Executive Committee agreed to take on the responsibility for creating these programs without a large team.

The following programs are schedule to begin in January.

January 22, 2009
E-discovery
John Bracken, Esq., Bracken & Margolin
and
Hon. Arlene Lindsay, U.S. District Court

March 5, 2009
Ethics
James Wicks, Esq.,Farrell Fritz

April 16, 2009
Trials
Gene Berman, Esq., Eugene Berman, PC

May 21, 2009
Appellate Advocacy
Hon. Sol Wachtler,
Chief Justice, New York State Court of Appeals (retired)
and
Hon. Arlene Lindsay, U.S. District Court

Each program lasts for two (2) hours. Can you find a way to squeeze eight (8) hours into your schedule during the next semester?

Students interested in joining the Alexander Hamilton Inn of Court should request an application from Margarett Williams in the Career Services Office at mwilliams@tourolaw.edu.

LSPIN Application: Get your summer money here!

Summer Job Money: The LSPIN Fellowship Program provides grants for first- and second-year law students with public interest organizations in the New York metropolitan area for ten weeks during the summer. Last year, 100 law students were awarded stipends in the amount of $4500 through the Program. Applications, which are simple, are in CSO and are due back in CSO by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 13. The Program has given money to a number of Touro students in the past. Apply for this now and ask questions later. This is a great opportunity to obtain funding in the summer.

Go here for application materials.

New York District Attorney's Office Summer Internship Application Deadline Looming

The New York County District Attorney's Office will hire 50 1Ls and 2Ls for its paid 10-week Summer Intern Program. In 2008, 52 interns were hired from approximately 1500 applicants. The program begins in early June and interns receive a stipend of $500 per week. Summer interns conduct legal research, write appellate briefs and trial memoranda, and work closely with Assistant District Attorneys to prepare cases for grand jury presentations, hearings, and trials. Also, the Office conducts a weekly lecture and field trip series for interns that highlights aspects of the criminal justice system.

The District Attorney’s Office employs over 450 attorneys in 4 divisions. The Trial Division prosecutes misdemeanor and felony street crime cases and is divided into such units as: Firearms Trafficking, Homicide Investigations, and Identity Theft. The Appeals Bureau prepares briefs and oral arguments and handles civil litigation in federal and state courts, including habeas corpus proceedings and civil rights actions. The Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor has city-wide jurisdiction over felony drug prosecutions. The Investigation Division prosecutes white collar cases, public and private corruption cases, and rackets cases.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants should possess strong academic credentials. Prior leadership experience and demonstrated commitment to public service are desirable.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Apply by Monday, December 15, 2008, submit cover letter, resume, and law school transcript. In-person interviews will begin in January and candidates must bring writing sample, list of 3 work-related or academic references (including phone numbers), and official law school transcript. Offers are extended on a rolling basis; most are made by the end of April.

Submit your documents by mail only to:

Ms. Robin R. Edwards
Administrator of the Legal Hiring Unit
New York County District Attorney's Office
One Hogan Place
New York, New York 10013
212-335-9361