HOPE News for the Week of January 21, 2013

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, January 22nd, VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Training Session, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, **E352. Volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation to individuals with low to moderate incomes ($50,000 maximum income), individuals with disabilities, non-English speaking taxpayers, and the elderly. 

Saturday, January 26th, Citizenship Clinic at FIU Law School, 11 am – 3 pm, 11200 SW 8 Street, RDB 2015, Miami, FL 33199. Clinic website. If potential volunteers have questions, email Amber Chaudhry . 

Saturday, January 26th, WalkAbout Autism, 9 am – 1 pm, Miami Dolphin’s Sun Life Stadium. Join the Dan Marino Foundation in bringing awareness to and raising money for autism research. At this event, participants take a few laps around Sun Life Stadium before heading inside for fun and games. Please sign up here. Simply click “Registration,” followed by “Join an Existing Team.” Search for a team named “UM Law,” click “Join,” and finish the registration process. 

Monday, January 28th, Public Interest Summer Opportunities, 12:30 – 2 pm, **F209. Discover some of the exciting summer opportunities including HOPE Fellowships, the Summer Public Interest Program, Clinics, Externships, and the African Probate & Policy Initiative. 

Friday, February 1st, Meet the first Hispanic on the U.S. Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor. 6 pm, University of Miami, Bank United Center. Vouchers are required for this event. You will receive (1) one voucher in exchange for your purchase of her book, My Beloved World, at Books & Books. The voucher entitles you to receive (1) one copy of My Beloved World and also serves as your entry for (2) two people. 

Monday, February 4th, Gideon Project Training Session, 12:30 – 2 pm, A110. Work in teams to conduct a series of court observations in determining whether litigants understand their rights in criminal and traffic court. 

Wednesday, February 6th, Student-to-Student Public Interest Fair, 12:30 – 2 pm, the Bricks. The Miami Law Public Interest Fair is ideal for students to talk informally about their work at various agencies and to prepare for the CDO Career Fair on March 6th, 2013. It is also designed to help other students in applying for the numerous fellowships and clinics. Hear from students who have participated in the Miami Law Clinics, Fellowships, Summer Public Interest Programs, and Externships. 

Wednesday, February 6th, Legal Line at Dade County Bar Association, 6 – 9 pm. Help attorneys provide free legal assistance to callers throughout Miami-Dade County by participating in February’s featured event. Email HOPE for more information or to carpool. 

Friday, February 15th, Deadline for Applying for HOPE Summer Fellowships, Summer Public Interest Fellowships, and the African Probate & Policy Initiative. Email HOPE  for more information. These application deadlines are distinct from summer clinic application deadlines. More information about Summer Clinics will follow. 

Featured Fellowships:

Harvard Legal Aid Bureau seeks 16 law students to serve as Summer Fellows, who will interact directly with clients, opposing parties, witnesses, and government agencies. Find out more on the website. Application instructions for HLAB: Please send (1) a resume, (2) a cover letter, (3) a writing sample, (4) a law school transcript, and (5) two references to Joshua Rovenger, Executive Director, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, 23 Everett Street, First Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138. The positions are unpaid, but visit our website to find out how you can qualify for a HOPE Fellowship. 

Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti is accepting applications for a Legal Intern (Summer 2013) and a Legal Fellow (2013-2014) to work on legal and public advocacy seeking UN accountability for Haiti’s cholera epidemic. More information on these positions can be found here.

$300,000+ in Funding Available for CGI U 2013 Students! Turn your ideas into action by applying online for Clinton Global Initiative University. 

Equal Justice Works: New application period for 2013 Summer Corps program. Applications accepted on a rolling basis beginning Tuesday, December 18, 2012 until Monday, March 18, 2013. See here for program details.

2013 Deborah T. Poritz Summer Public Interest Legal Fellowship Program. Approximately 15 positions are available for first and second year law students at Legal Services of New Jersey. Click here for application.

FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics) is now accepting applications for a fellowship that uses the conduct of lawyers and judges in Nazi Germany as a launching point for an intensive two-week early summer program about contemporary legal ethics. Click here for information.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Division seeks second year law students as legal interns to assist with its enforcement and outreach efforts. Please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (5-10 pages) to Peggy Schmidt to apply. The positions are unpaid, but visit our website to find out how you can qualify for a HOPE Fellowship.

Announcements & Opportunities:

LSGMI, Inc. Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. is seeking clerks to fill a variety of volunteer law clerk positions. Interested students should be able to volunteer a minimum of 12 hours a week for the Spring semester. For more information regarding the program, visit the website. To apply, complete the attached application and send it via email 

2013 Akin Gump Summer Pro Bono Scholars Program is a two-summer program for top law students who show a strong interest in making pro bono an integral part of their Akin Gump careers.

Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative is currently accepting applications for its 2013 June-July Legal Studies Externship Program. The Program offers an opportunity to make a real contribution to assisting others in overcoming the hardships and legal inequity in Southeast Asia.

19th Annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference, February 22-23, 2013. Registration is now open! HOPE will provide a $100 travel stipend to students who have not already used the benefit through EJW.