Cleveland, OH – Extern Program, Spring – Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
AkronLawJobs No. 7770 Overview: The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland provides free, high quality legal assistance to low income clients in civil matters and serves the communities of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain and Geauga counties. Students will be exposed to a variety of cases and projects.
Duties: May assist attorneys with initial client interviews and ongoing client contact; May assist attorneys in all aspects of advocacy and litigation, including legal research, drafting of pleadings and letters and the preparation of charts, tables, documents and other evidentiary materials, and accompany and assist at hearings and other court proceedings; May conduct factual investigation, including obtaining, analyzing and summarizing documents and other evidence; Will effectively communicate with clients, co-workers, community partners, volunteers, judges and court staff; May develop and organize education materials and participate in community outreach events; and Provide appropriate intake support and make referrals.
Qualifications: 1L, 2L. Special consideration is given to students with a demonstrated commitment to serving disadvantaged people and communities. If your resume does not reflect a commitment to public service due to personal financial constraints, please provide an explanation in your cover letter. Spanish speakers are strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply: Submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample TO THE CAREER PLACEMENT OFFICE, Law School Room 110 (Be sure that Assistant Dean O’Brien is aware that this is for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland Externship for Spring) OR directly to volunteers@lasclev.org with “Externship” in the subject line.
Deadline: November 30, 2016
Cleveland, Ohio – 2017 Summer Associate Program – Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
AkronLawJobs No. 7768 Overview: The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (Legal Aid) is looking for 12 to 15 dedicated, hard-working, and public interest minded students to work in Legal Aid’s four Northeast Ohio offices for the 2017 summer associate program. Legal Aid summer associates commit to working at least 11 weeks. Legal Aid is a non-profit law focused on the areas of consumer rights, disability, domestic violence, education, employment, family law, foreclosure, health, housing, immigration, public benefits, and tax.
Potential Duties: Summer Associates will be assigned to work in one practice area and will receive the opportunity to learn how to be excellent poverty law attorneys. Generally, summer associates will interview clients, draft court pleadings, research relevant legal issues, attend and assist with court hearings and trials, and gather and analyze evidence. In addition, Legal Aid summer associates will observe oral arguments in a variety of courts, meeting afterward with the judges involved.
Qualifications: 1L or 2L prior to the summer of 2017. Special consideration is given to students with a demonstrated commitment to serving disadvantaged people and communities. If your resume does not reflect a commitment to public service due to personal financial constraints, please provide an explanation in your cover letter. Law students who speak Spanish and other languages are strongly encouraged to apply.
Funding: Due to limited financial resources, Legal Aid is unable to pay summer associates. However, traditionally summer associates are able to find outside funding, and applicants are encouraged to apply for summer funding through the following sources: Summer grants / fellowships through UA’s law school; Equal Justice Works, Summer Corps Program – visit www.equaljusticeamerica.org ; Work Study Funding – Please See Assistant Dean Alisa Benedict O’Brien for ideas regarding funding. For more funding opportunities, visit the “Funding Sources” page under “Resource Central at www.psjd.org. Please indicate in your cover letter what funding sources you will be applying for, if any.
Course Credit / Externship Credit: Legal Aid often supervises students seeking externship or other credit. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are working with a law school to receive course credit for this position.
How to apply: Send your resume, cover letter listing your top two location preferences (Cleveland, Elyria, Jefferson, or Painesville), Writing Sample, and List of 3 references with contact information to Jennifer Teeter, Executive Assistant at volunteers@lasclev.org. Subject Line – “Summer Associate 2017”.
Deadline: January 20, 2017