Oyster Roast to Support Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services

Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services, Inc.

OYSTER ROAST

The Charleston County Bar Association Student Division cordially invites you to attend our 1^st Annual Fund Raiser Event, supporting Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services.

O’MALLEYS GRILL

549 King Street

Saturday, October 24^th

5 -7 P.M.

Oysters provided by O’Malleys Grille

Come And Support

Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services while enjoying all the oysters you can eat and the best legal company in the Lowcountry!

TICKETS

Charleston County Bar Members & Student Division Members $10

Non-Members & Guests $15

*Tickets to be sold on the Charleston School of Law campus in the Barrister from 12:00 – 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm the week of October 12 – 16, 2009*

Please contact the following for ticket purchases:

• Ginny Howell, Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services 843-853-6456 vzhprobono@bellsouth.net
• Matthew Keller, Co-President, CCBA Student Division 843-514-5963 mkeller@charlestonlaw.edu
• Stephanie Brinkley, Co-President, CCBA Student Division  843-364-9669 sbrinkley@charlestonlaw.edu

-RFW

Thanks to Virginia Howell for sharing with me!

Friday Wrap-Up 5.22.09

Here’s a Wrap-up of the week ending 5.22.09

I know this is mostly pointing folks to other sources for news, but as you can see, there are simply too many stories from the week to cover.

Thanks to my new law clerk Allie! She’s already jumping in with both feet.

Enjoy the stories below and have a safe holiday weekend!

Honolulu – City Awards almost $4 million for Homeless Services

LSC – Update enewsletter

South Carolina – SC Statehouse Report

New Brunswick – New Brunswick is facing Legal Aid cuts

Minneapolis – Best & Flanagan wins Pro Patria Award

Memphis – TBA President ready with plans

Washington D.C. – Bread for the City - Beyond Bread: The Human Rights Clinic

Texas – Texas Access to Justice Foundation 25th Anniversary (thanks State Bar of Texas Blog)

Australia

- Homeless Person’s Legal Service Forum (Robert McClelland)

- Pro Bono Initiative to Strengthen Rule of Law (Robert McClelland) – Lawyers Beyond Borders

The Legal Intelligencer/Law.com – Use ‘Pro Bono Networking’ to Market Yourself into a New Job

New Jersey – TRENTON: State courts closed Fridayand again in June

JD Supra: Legal Articles – The 4 Ps of the Internet: Personal, Private, Professional and Public

Michigan

- Mental health court serves public interest

- The South End – Law School fellowships provide students with work opportunities, tuition dollars

California – New California Law School Unveils its First Clinic

InHouse Insider – 2009 Best Legal Department: And the Winner is . . . (be sure to track all 3 “winners”)

Tolerance.org: Teaching Tolerance - Use This Summer for Social Justice

NPR: Lawyers Make Pro Bono Leap into Foreclosures (thanks to Mercy Politics for pointing us to this story)

-RFW

Online Info: Legal Services Now

Just in case you weren’t aware, there is an online site to go to learn about what’s happening in the Legal Aid and Pro Bono communities – at Legal Services Now. The current e-newsletter is available in html or pdf.

-RFW

Nosy Plans to Spend $$ for Good Cause

Nosy Wheeler

 

Our gal on the street, Nosy Wheeler, is heading over to the Legal Fraternity Phi Delta Phi Faculty Auction this evening at 701 Whaley St.   Cost per person is $35 and the auction includes weekend get-aways, artwork and more!

Why?

• To help raise money for the James L. Petigru Public Interest Law Society (PILS) summer grant program.

What does PILS do?

• Funds law students in public interest law settings in South Carolina during the summer months.

And Nosy knows that PILS summer grant students go on to become great attorneys. In the past, she’s supervised many of them, who have gone on to practice in public interest law OR continue to support the programs.

Stay tuned for an update of the evening from Nosy.

-RFW

Seeing the Forest and the Trees through Woods, Sara L. Woods

Just as I was beginning to question whether public interest law could and would truly engage new attorneys, I read a story at www.lawjobs.com about Sara L. Woods.

Ms. Woods is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program aka Philly VIP. According to the article:  

Woods says her gut and her heart are in public service work, so VIP is the right choice for her.

“I can’t imagine not working in the public sector. I see myself here for a long time,” she said.

Glad to have you with us Ms. Woods!

-RFW

Are Law Schools Turning Students Away from Public Interest Law?

Theories abound as to why fresh, new lawyers are not turning to public service when they enter the workforce. Much of the discussion centers on the incredible debt that arises from law school, an average of $80,000+. Sure it would be hard to accept a job for $40,000 a year (see my previous article), but an article by Tan N. Nguyen in the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal paints a different picture.

According to Nguyen, law professors may play a large role in where students seek employment and that the trend is toward large firms.

Law schools often teach legal skills in the absence of any discussion regarding equity, fairness, or the possible result of their application in people’s lives. The case-analysis method of teaching law separates legal thinking from larger societal values.

Nguyen suggests alternatives in the article.

Now may be a good time for us to re-examine how we paint the profession to law students. Public interest lawyers do great work and deserve recognition. Maybe it’s time to let law students know that too.

-RFW

PS – Many thanks to Ezra Rosser at Poverty Law Prof Blog for pointing us toward the article.

Public Interest Law – The Next New Thing?

After the recent Presidential election, it appears that there has been a resurgence in public interest law, at least according to The National Law Journal. This is encouraging for those of us who are and have been working in public interest law, especially now when there is an increased need for competent and passionate attorneys.

-RFW

UVA Law Students Take Pro Bono Seriously. Seriously.

On Friday, October 3rd, Rebecca Vallas, the PILA President, wrote an article in the Virginia Law Weekly encouraging law students to engage in pro bono services. She offered humorous, yet practical reasons for student involvement.

It’s always encouraging to hear what’s happening with the next generation of attorneys and this time, we’re thrilled!

For information about the USC School of Law’s PILS program, visit http://law.sc.edu/organizations/pils/.  For information about the Charleston School of Law and its goals, visit http://www.charlestonlaw.edu/about.htm.

-RFW