Obama to save $4 billion by removing Sallie Mae from direct lending mix February 27, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in debt relief.Tags: 2010 federal budget, College Cost Reduction & Access Act, direct loan, FFEL loan, Obama budget, private lender entitlement, Sallie Mae
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President Obama proposed the federal 2010 budget on Thursday, including provisions affecting private student loan lenders like Sallie Mae.
According to Reuters, private lenders currently receive “entitlements” for lending to students. These lenders, like Sallie Mae, distribute federally-guaranteed loans. Under Obama’s plan, all new student loans will be originated from the direct student loan program, taking out the middle man and saving the government $4 billion annually.
This is significant because in order to qualify for public service loan forgiveness under the College Cost Reduction & Access Act, students must consolidate all of their federally-guaranteed loans into the Federal Direct program.
-Aaron
Advice for law students seeking public service careers February 27, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in public interest law, public service.Tags: Andrea Saenz, career public service, Equal Justice Works, government jobs, LawBound, nonprofit career, PAIR project, public interest law, public service
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Equal Justice Works Fellow Andrea Saenz is profiled in LawBound. Check it out. She discusses public interest law and offers advice to those considering careers in public service:
Potential law students should absolutely consider being a lawyer at a nonprofit – in whatever field calls to them, be that housing, education, disability rights, etc. – because it’s wonderful, but they should do their homework and research organizations, because they differ much more than large law firms are different from each other. There are less entry-level positions at nonprofits, but there are fellowships and creative ways to get hired. People should know it takes more persistence, networking and a more individualized search than some private sector jobs, but the rewards of doing work that you’re proud of every day are hard to argue with. Government jobs can also be really rewarding, and we need compassionate people administering government systems, so people who want to be in public service should consider those too.
Read about some of Andrea’s recent work at the PAIR project.
Have a great weekend!
-Aaron
$40 million budget increase approved for Legal Services Corp. February 26, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in Legal Services Corporation.Tags: House of Representatives budget, legal services budget increase, Legal Services Corporation, omnibus appropriations bill
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The Legal Services Corporation just released the following information:
The House of Representatives approved a $40 million budget increase for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) on Feb. 25 as part of the fiscal 2009 omnibus appropriations bill. The 11 percent increase would bring funding for the Corporation to a total of $390 million, the third consecutive year that the House has supported additional funding to provide civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families. Most of the funding, $365.8 million, would be awarded as competitive grants to 137 nonprofit legal aid programs across the nation.
March 11, 2009 – UPDATE: this increase has been approved as part of an omnibus appropriations bill signed into law by the President today.
-Aaron
Detainment of 24 Latinos sparks debate over ICE policies February 24, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in public interest law.Tags: 7-Eleven raid, Baltimore Sun, CASA de Maryland, CASA of Maryland, fugitive alien, ICE, ICE policies, illegal detainment, immigrant rights, immigration, immigration cases, immigration court burden, Immigration Customs Enforcement, immigration policy, Michelle Mendez, Washington Post
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In an article on February 18, the Washington Post reports on the conflicting accounts being delivered by ICE officers in court regarding the detainment of 24 Latino men two years ago.
The men were detained on January 23, 2007, as suspected “fugitive aliens.” The Washington Post has obtained security camera footage (click here) from that day, however, which shows that other factors may have been at work. And since the raid, it has been determined that 14 of the 24 men were not fugitive immigrants.
From the Post: “[the] incident, described in ICE documents and shown in security camera footage obtained by The Washington Post, offers a glimpse into how Washington’s directives on arrest targets might have spurred officers in the field to stray from their mission and stage a random sweep for illegal immigrants, possibly in violation of ICE’s stated practice.”
Michelle Mendez, an Equal Justice Works Fellow and co-counsel at CASA of Maryland, is included in the article. In it, she argues that “the events call into question whether the officers overstepped their authority. Although law enforcement officers can question anyone who speaks to them voluntarily, they cannot legally detain someone without reasonable suspicion.”
Michelle represents some of the men that were detained at the 7-Eleven raid, and in a Baltimore Sun article last week, she said that “‘It’s a perfect example of the crisis that our broken immigration system presents in which ICE acts with impunity.’ Referring to agents, she said, ‘They had a vision in mind which was prompted by ICE policies.’”
Local news coverage of the issue includes a CASA of Maryland press conference in which Michelle and others discuss the racial profiling that likely occurred in this case and occurs in countless others across the country, calling the 7-Eleven incident unethical and un-American. Watch the report below.
-Aaron
Consumer protection – credit company abuses February 24, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in public interest law.Tags: consumer protection, credit card abuse, James Sturdevant, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Senate Committee on Banking Housing Urban Affairs
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Equal Justice Works board member James Sturdevant testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on February 12, 2009, on behalf of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. In the testimony, Mr. Sturdevant discussed some of the current abuses in the credit card industry and described the problems and experiences of the everyday consumers affected by this abuse.
Read Mr. Sturdevant’s prepared testimony here.
-Aaron
On the road with Joseph Hardgrave February 17, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in legal services, public interest law, public service.Tags: Equal Justice Works, Indian Probate Reform Act, Indian wills, Joseph Hardgrave, low income Native Americans, Montana Legal Services
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Here is a guest post from Joseph Hardgrave, courtesy of Montana Legal Services: Most days you can find Attorney Joseph Hardgrave on the road, traveling to one of Montana’s Indian Reservations. As an Equal Justice Works Fellow running MLSA’s Indian Wills project, Joseph meets each week with tribal members hoping to undo some of the damage of the Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004. This federal statute, in some cases, mandates the forced sale of lands owned by tribal members who die without a will. Joe is the only free resource for will drafting available to low income Native Americans in Montana. Here is his description of a recent visit to the Crow Reservation.
This afternoon I wrote a will for a woman on her deathbed. I had never experienced a more intimate setting. She was a Crow with five children and eleven grandchildren; most of them were there in the tiny transitional hospital room when I arrived. One of her daughters had called me an hour before and she said it was an emergency. The woman was dying from a severe from of lung cancer and the doctors had stopped her treatment. The woman was calm and aware and she seemed happy to have her family around her.
I had my laptop and portable printer with me. I set them up and the daughter handed me an inventory report from the Bureau of Indian Affairs that listed all of the woman’s interests in trust land. Under the testator’s direction, I went through her property, dividing specific allotments to each of the grandchildren and then dividing all of the remaining property to all of her five children in equal shares. It took a few hours to work through all of the allotments and to identify them in the will. At various times, some of the children talked in Crow. There were a few tense discussions on how to best divide some of the allotments and then there was plenty of laughter.
After the will was drafted, the daughter tried to hand me some money. I told her that I couldn’t accept it. One of the sons gave me a bottle of water and the testatrix herself whispered “thank you” to me as I left the room.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in the twilight of your life and to worry about how your land is going to pass and with no one to help you out. I realized that to these clients, this land that has been in their families for hundreds of years meant so much more to them than dollars and cents.
AmeriCorps Fellow named Class Representative February 12, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in AmeriCorps.Tags: AmeriCorps, Carrie Henrichsen, South Dakota Access to Justice, University of South Dakota
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Equal Justice Works is pleased to announce the appointment of Carrie Henrichsen to the newly created position of AmeriCorps Class Representative for the current program year.
In her second year with Access to Justice, Carrie has had a transformational impact on public interest offerings at the University of South Dakota. In a state where only 8% of lawyers participate in pro bono service, Carrie has increased student involvement in the state law school by 75%. She is responsible for the creation of training materials and assisted Equal Justice Works in training site supervisors on how to bring out the best in AmeriCorps Fellows. She will also represent Equal Justice Works at the AmeriCorps Best Practices Conference this year in Washington, DC.
The Class Representative role was designed with someone like Carrie in mind. Each year, the role will be awarded to a rising second-year AmeriCorps Fellow who is:
- Sought out by peers for ideas and advice;
- Respected by members of the program;
- Going above and beyond the required effort to innovate at the host organization; and
- Volunteering solutions to Equal Justice Works staff on improving the experience for all Fellows.
We are providing this opportunity because we are fortunate to have a number of Fellows each year who are leaders. The Class Representative, however, is not the only person we will ask for feedback or ask to make presentations – everyone has a role in building the program. We see the Class Representative as someone who can bring a Fellow’s perspective to events, trainings and program decision making. The Class Representative will spend 5-10 hours per month on a number of tasks, including:
- Participating in trainings for site staff and AmeriCorps Fellows;
- Acting as an ambassador for Equal Justice Works to promote the AmeriCorps program at various national and regional events;
- Gathering public and confidential input from Fellows, as needed, to plan trainings or advise program staff; and
- Serving as an alumni representative for the class upon completion of the term.
With such a strong class, we expect more Fellows than ever to return for a second year. Nominations for the 2009-2010 Class Representative can be directed to Marty Costello, Program Manager. We will announce the 2009-2010 Class Representative at the Equal Justice Conference in Orlando in May.
Thank you to Carrie for taking on this role and to Access to Justice for allowing her to expand her service in this way. We are honored to be working with such incredible AmeriCorps Fellows throughout the country.
-Martin
A 3L’s public interest experience in South Dakota February 12, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in law school, legal education.Tags: Carrie Henrichsen, Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps, Jr., Law School Defender Society, law school public interest experience, law school student experience, South Dakota Access to Justice Project, University of South Dakota School of Law, William F. Day
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This is a guest post from Kenny Jacobs, a 3L who is involved with the Law School Defender Society at the University of South Dakota School of Law. This partnership was created by Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow Carrie Henrichsen last year, with input and cooperation from the Public Defender’s office. The society connects law students who have an interest in criminal law with a volunteer opportunity and the potential for in-court experience.
Kenny was last year’s recipient of the 1st annual William F. Day, Jr. Pro Bono award that was created by the South Dakota Access to Justice Project. Here is a brief report of his public interest experience.
In my second week with the Law School Defender Society one of the public defenders, Jeff Larson, handed me a client file with police reports. He told me to look them over because the client was coming in later that morning and he wanted me to conduct the client interview. When the client arrived, Jeff had me start the interview and conduct most of it. Once I was done asking questions, Jeff followed up with a couple questions of his own. After the meeting, we talked about the possibility of filing a motion to suppress evidence.
I researched relevant topics and showed the initial result to Jeff. We had spoken to the client and he was not opposed to filing the motion. After I had finished my first draft, Jeff provided me with some guidance, especially the facts portion. He approved my second draft and told me to go ahead and write the motion.
After finishing the motion and the brief, I took both over to the clerk’s office by myself and personally filed each. I then sent copies to the Judge and States Attorney’s Office. We were able to delay the motion hearing until after finals so I would be able to argue it in court. At the motion hearing, Jeff gave me the opportunity to cross examine a police officer and conduct direct examination on our client. After the cross, Jeff asked only a couple of follow up questions. Once the cross and direct was done, I made my final argument to the Judge. The Judge ruled from the bench in our favor.
It was such a great opportunity to be able to work a case from the beginning. I am grateful to the client for allowing me to examine and argue, and to Jeff Larson at the Public Defender’s office for this wonderful experience.
Immigration cases overwhelm courts February 10, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in pro bono, public interest law.Tags: immigrant rights, immigration, immigration cases, immigration court burden, NPR, pro bono counsel
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Yesterday, NPR reported on the surge in immigration cases that is overwhelming courts. According to the report, “the nation’s 214 immigration judges oversaw nearly 350,000 cases” in 2007. With many immigrants unable to obtain pro bono services, they find themselves navigating the complex court system alone.
In the report Dana Leigh Marks, who heads the National Association of Immigration Judges, says: “These are the equivalent of death penalty cases, and we are conducting these cases in a traffic court setting.”
Listen to the story “Immigration Crackdown Overwhelms Judges” or read the report.
-Aaron
On Eric Holder’s confirmation as Attorney General February 4, 2009
Posted by equaljusticeworks in public service.Tags: Attorney General Eric Holder, David Stern, Equal Justice Works Board of Directors, President Obama
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Eric Holder was confirmed as Attorney General on Monday after being nominated by President Obama for the position.
Mr. Holder served as an Equal Justice Works board member from 2002-2004. David Stern, CEO for Equal Justice Works, released the following statement:
“Eric Holder is an extraordinary lawyer with a deep commitment to the American values of equal justice and rule of law. As an Equal Justice Works board member, he demonstrated a real understanding of the needs of the poor and our most vulnerable citizens and inspired hundreds of young lawyers to pursue careers in public service. We are celebrating his appointment and look forward to his leadership as Attorney General.”
To read the full release, click here.
-Aaron
