Gay/Straight Law Alliance: Call for Officers

GSLA is seeking an executive board for 2015-2016. If you are interested, please email Mary Beth Clemons at mec61@zips.uakron.edu.

GSLA strives to provide the law school community with a forum in which students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni may come together to discuss legal issues relevant to gay, bisexual, and trans-gendered people. GSLA is also committed to supporting community organizations with similar goals as well as providing educational resources to the school of law community.

In the coming year, GSLA hopes to

  • assess University and Law School policies for LGBT equality and inclusivity
  • take part in LGBT community events, the first of which will be the Game Change 2 conference, which GSLA hopes to assist CANAPI in spreading the word
  • provide opportunities for community service/pro bono service to LGBT community organizations
  • assist the law school admissions team with recruiting LGBT students

If you are interested in becoming an officer or signing up for GSLA’s new email-list, please email Mary Beth at mec61@zips.uakron.edu.

Law Review Write-On Competition begins Friday, March 29

Students with a cumulative law school GPA of 2.6 or higher may compete for a position on the Akron Law Review if they do not receive an invitation based upon their grades alone.

The Akron Law Review Write-On Competition will begin on Friday, May 29 at 9:00am. You will download the course on TWEN, where you will find instructions, the prompt, and sources, as this is a closed research competition. Anyone with questions should email the Executive Editor of Student Writing Sean Steward at srs95@zips.uakron.edu.

Summer law interns can get an additional $1,212 for their summer public interest job and win a free iPad Air or Surface 3!

Law students with summer internships at nonprofits or in government anywhere in the country are eligible for a $1,212 Segal Education Award through Equal Justice Works’ AmeriCorps JD program. In addition, students who apply will be automatically entered to win one of 20 iPad Air or Surface 3 tablets!

This is a great way for students to get funds to reduce the cost of law school AND win a free tablet just for working at their summer public interest jobs. The deadline is June 1, so sign up today!

Here’s how to do it in 2 easy steps:

1. Review our Five Easy Steps to Apply to AmeriCorps JD.
2. Apply through our Student Application Manager (SAM).

The basic requirements for an AmeriCorps JD member are:

• Law students must serve 300 hours before Aug. 31, 2015;
• Law students cannot receive academic credit for their work;
• The students must receive less than $4,300 in outside funding for their internship, although that can’t be paid as an hourly wage;
• The members must agree to and assist in completing state background checks, which might include fingerprinting; and,
• The host site must be a non-profit agency, state or district court, or government agency

The application should only take 30 minutes. If you have any problems or questions, you can read the Application Guide or contact us at AmeriCorpsJD@equaljusticeworks.org.

Expungement Clinic seeking student volunteers

The Expungement Clinic helps low-income Summit County residents seal the record of their criminal convictions. A sealed record enables many people better access to jobs, housing, and volunteer opportunities. Students will learn integral skills in the legal field including filing paperwork with the court, drafting motions, interviewing real clients, and communicating with clients both through the mail and over the phone. Students who are eligible for a legal intern certificate will have ample opportunities to appear in court and present an oral argument.

A student commitment to the Expungement Clinic can be for as few or as many hours as the student pleases. The only requirement is that you devote enough time to attempt to contact your clients at least twice a week. All hours qualify as Pro Bono Limited Means.

There are now two different volunteer opportunities to accommodate night and non-traditional students. After attending a training, students can volunteer at our Saturday events without maintaining a regular presence during normal business hours.

There will be a training session the week of May 25th. Interested students should contact Russel Nichols at russel.nichols@gmail.com.

AKRON LAW LEGAL CLINIC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR PAID POSITION

The University of Akron School of Law Legal Clinic is accepting applications for one paid position for the summer and next year until May 2016. The paid position will be one of the Directors of our Inmate Assistance Program. Students eligible for a legal intern certificate may be able to participate in the Turning Point/Summit County Court of Common Pleas Felony Drug Court Program and provide courtroom advocacy and representation to Turning Point participants. All students are invited to apply, including rising 2L’s. Persons chosen for these positions will be paid $8.50 per hour up to 20 hours per week.

People interested in developing interviewing, research, and writing skills should apply. Our Clinic graduates use their skills in civil and criminal contexts as Public Defenders, County Prosecutors, Legal Aid lawyers, judicial law clerks, and civil practitioners.

A cover letter and resume must be submitted to Mrs. Davis at mdavis1@uakron.edu as soon as possible. We will be conducting interviews as applications are received and anticipate making a decision quickly, so please apply immediately if you wish us to consider your application. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul Zindle at pez2@uakron.edu or stop in the Legal Clinic.