Public Interest Law, Lateefah Simon & The PI/PS Launch Celebration Event

By Erica L. Morris
Graduate Fellow, Law Career Development

Just in time for National Pro Bono week, GGU Law is celebrating its students, faculty, alumni and staff who engage in legal service to their communities, and we are celebrating with a very special guest...

Public Interest Law is a cumulative array of industries and practice areas focused on improving the lives of everyone. Those who enter into public interest law may work in a government agency, such as by defending youth from wrongful criminal convictions. Or they may work for a public interest organization that helps victims of domestic violence. Or they may even speak out to improve civil and human rights in a foreign country. Or perhaps, they may "be the attorney who works on community economic development and helps minority-owned small businesses become incorporated. As a public interest lawyer you will be the attorney who ensures liberty and justice for all."

The public interest law sector is vast, and no matter your interest, there is a place for you to fit in - either as a career or as side pro bono work done apart from or within a fee generating practice.  It just takes one person to enact change. Take Lateefah Simon, for an example.

BEAT THE CLOCK 2015 MCLE EVENT

Golden Gate Law alumni, students, faculty and staff are invited to our Annual MCLE Event Seminar and Networking Lunch.

Golden Gate University School of Law will be hosting the annual Beat the Clock MCLE event on Saturday, January 31, 2015, from 8:30 am to 5:10 pm. All sessions will be held at GGU, 536 Mission Street, 2nd floor. The networking lunch will be held in the 5th floor auditorium.

Registration fees (includes any or all sessions):

• GGU Alumni (classes of 2012 or earlier): $150 
• GGU Alumni (classes of 2013 or 2014): $75 
• Non-GGU Alumni: $250 
• Current GGU Students: FREE 
• GGU Staff/Professors: FREE 

More information regarding topics, schedule and registration form can be found at: http://law.ggu.edu/alumni/alumni-events

Deadline to register is: Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Contact: Mateo Jenkins at mjenkins@ggu.edu or 415-442-6541

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines!

PILF Auction
Friday, March 28, 5 to 9pm, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco
The 2014 Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) Auction promises to be the highlight of GGU’s social calendar. Tickets are on sale now! You don’t want to miss out on this fun night that also benefits your fellow students. Bid on great items such as dinner at Henry Hunan's with Professor Sylvester or dinner at Chaya with Professor Chu, stargazing with Professor Yates, or golf with Professors Porter and Calhoun! Or you can take a progressive, personalized tour of Alcatraz with GGU’s Public Interest Career Counselor and a formerly imprisoned activist!  And don't forget to buy raffle tickets for the chance to win a $500 visa gift card.  Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for non-students. Buy your tickets today! Tickets go up $5 at the door.

Pro Bono Honors Society - Applications due April 3
To honor the breadth of pro bono work performed by the GGU student body, qualifying criteria for the Pro Bono Honors Society has changed.  Applications for membership are due to Public Interest Career Counselor Cynthia Chandler by Thursday, April 3, 2014.  Golden Gate’s Pro Bono Honor Society acknowledges and rewards students who dedicate a significant portion of their time to helping others through participation in pro bono work.  Pro bono work now is more broadly defined as legal work done in service of indigent or modest means individuals or community groups, or for not-for-profit organizations or government agencies, with the primary purpose of providing services to economically disadvantaged communities, or to other not-for-profit organizations or government agencies with a purpose of increasing access to justice or improving the law and legal system.

Public Interest Specialization Certification - Applications Due April 11 for Mention at Public Interest Graduation
To acknowledge the volume and diversity of GGU Law students committed to the public interest, the qualifying criteria for public interest specialization certification has changed to completing the following: 14 units of Public Interest courses; and 135 hours of supervised legal work at a public interest organization, civil rights law firm, or government agency. You now may qualify under the new rules. All students who previously qualified will fit these criteria, too. If you have already applied for a specialization certification that overlaps with public interest work, such as litigation or environmental law, you might ALSO qualify for the public interest certificate.  To have your public interest efforts acknowledged in the April 2014 Public Interest graduation and commencement activities, applications for the Specialization Certificates are due to the Registrar's Office by Friday, April 11. The revised application form and eligibility requirements are available online.

Watch the Remarks fromGolden Gate Law's Public Interestand Pro Bono Celebration 2013

by Leeor Neta
Director for Public Interest Programs

I want to thank the staff and faculty of our Law School and the University for attending and making possible this week's Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation Reception. With over 100 attendees, it is clear that our community cares very much about public interest work.

In particular, I want to thank the LCS staff, Business Services and Facilities and Classroom Tech Services for arranging the space perfectly, as always.

I also want to thank our speakers for the remarks, which you can watch here:

Do Pro Bono During The Break!

GGU Students are putting their legal skills to use and helping low-income communities in need of legal assistance. On November 3, OneJustice’s Justice Bus ®Project took nine GGU students to Watsonville to volunteer at a wage and hour clinic at the Watsonville Law Center. During the clinic, students met with clients to assess their wage claims and consulted with attorneys in order to deliver legal advice to each client. Because of their hard work and commitment to equal access to justice, 10 underserved Californians received vital legal help.


It is not too late to put your legal skills to use this winter break to help provide legal assistance to low-income and underserved Californians.  




Legal Aid of Marin is seeking law student volunteers to assist in their 2012 Holiday Clinics and help provide limited scope information and advice to Marin residents. The clinics will take place on Thursday & Friday December 27-28, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Interested students should email justicebus@one-justice.org.  Please provide (1) your full name; (2) law school; and (3) class year.  Be sure to include "LAM Holiday Clinic" in the subject line.

Giving Back In The First Week

By Leeor Neta
Assistant Director for Public Interest Programs

On Friday, a group of first-year students participated in the annual Golden Gate University School of Law Orientation Service Project. This year, a group of 30 students had the privilege of volunteering at the St. Anthony’s Foundation, a privately-funded nonprofit foundation in the Tenderloin community of San Francisco. Aside from providing warm meals and clothing, St Anthony’s provides addiction recovery services and occupational training.

Interested in learning more about pro bono? Email me.

Here is what some students had to say about the Orientation Service Project:

“When we arrived at St. Anthony’s, our group was warmly greeted by our volunteer coordinator, Marie O’Connor. We were introduced to the history of St. Anthony’s as well as the societal circumstances which contribute to the dire need for their services. I learned that the primary mission of St. Anthony’s is to treat individuals from all walks of life with respect - regardless of faith, race, sexuality, and even legal citizenship — and welcome them as friends and equals.

After the session, we were divided into four groups and sent to our respective locations to aid the regular volunteers. One group served in the Dining Room where over 2,500 meals are served each day. Trays of food were served to everyone from the elderly, the disabled, and even families who walked through the door. Other volunteers bussed the tables, picking up trays, receiving kind greetings and praise from the individuals they were assisting, and even striking up casual conversation with the guests.

While bussing I found myself speaking to a woman who knew little English. When I found out she was a native Palestinian, as am I, we struck up a conversation in Arabic and she did not hesitate to share with me the source of her plight.

The irony of meeting a woman whose origins are so closely related to mine truly struck a nerve. That was the last thing I expected to encounter during the project. It was as if I was looking into the eyes of my own grandmother, and the emotional connection was instantaneous. I wanted to help her, and suddenly everything for which this foundation stood seemed so real. Other volunteers had stories to share as they helped provide goods to others in need, distribute food to home-bound people, and visit with the elderly.

At the end of our time, we were introduced to a man in his mid-forties who is working through a recovery and rehabilitation program. After sharing with us his difficult challenges in overcoming alcohol and drug addiction, it became apparent just how real the struggle to stay “clean” is for him and how such behavior nearly destroyed his family relations and, ultimately, his own life. Walking out of the St Anthony’s Foundation as future members of the legal profession, I understood how GGU students are a means of lending a helping hand to individuals who are ostracized by their community. What a powerful experience."

- Aseil Mohmoud, 1L

"When I decided to go along to St. Anthony’s dining hall on Friday, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. When the Tenderloin makes the news, it is usually for drug-related violent crime. By the end of the day, however, I had gained an invaluable lesson in humility, compassion, and civic responsibility.

From my initial orientation to St. Anthony’s, my visit to a nearby affiliated senior center, the sit-down meal in the dining hall, and the final talk given by a man in the rehabilitation program, the one constant and present element that was championed throughout was the common bond of our human condition.

On the heels of Bob Holly’s impassioned speech about professionalism at the close of orientation week, my time at St. Anthony’s was a poignant reminder of the privilege and responsibility we bear to care for our fellow citizens."

- Adam Bentley, 1L

"I will not soon forget how warmly our efforts were welcomed nor the fact that the people we helped are just a small segment of larger populations who need compassion and advocacy.

As we start Law School and feel especially anxious and uncertain, the Orientation Service Project was a helpful reminder to feel fortunate that we are in the privileged position of giving rather than receiving help.

We will only become more capable of serving others in matters of great importance, with skills and training that few of our fellow men and women will possess. Taking the time to serve those in need was a great reminder of the importance of service to others in my future profession."

- Vincent Coffey, 1L

"I went with a small group to the Madonna Center, which is a facility for low-income senior women in the Tenderloin. It was a fulfilling experience to engage with a handful of women as they shared their laughter, struggles and parts of their life stories with me. Afterward at the St. Anthony’s dining room we all had lunch and another opportunity to interact with some folks looking to enjoy a meal. It was very similar to a big family dinner.

New to the San Francisco area, what I’ve heard of the Tenderloin is basically to avoid it. However, I had the honor to see that there exists a sense of hope, generosity and perseverance amongst the inhabitants. The members of our community are our potential clients. Getting to know some of them, even just a little bit, was an invaluable experience."

- Tovah Trimming, 1L

GGU Law Students Provide Free Legal Help To Rural Watsonville Residents

Seven Golden Gate Law students recently traveled to Watsonville, California, to work at a foreclosure rescue scam clinic. Students worked with staff attorneys at the Watsonville Law Center to provide low-income rural clients with much-needed legal services. The Watsonville community, largely populated by Spanish-speaking migrant farm workers, has seen an increase in loan modification and foreclosure related scams. Law students provided legal assistance to 14 households and helped clients file claims with the State Bar of California, Department of Real Estate, and the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office.

In a post-trip survey, 100 percent of students rated their overall experience as positive and said they would recommend the Project to other law students. In addition, 85.7 percent said they improved their legal skills and learned substantive law.

"It's a great way to get out of the city and really use some legal skills and connect with clients. It reminds me why I wanted to go to law school in the first place. Work like this makes you realize how inaccessible this information is to the public and how many people are lacking real honest legal service." - Participating 3L

More info: The Justice Bus Project is coordinated by the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC). The Project's mission is to expose law students to the great need for legal services in rural areas of California and to inspire them to provide pro bono work once they become lawyers.

Do Some Good This Summer

by Elana Konstant
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs

For those of you still looking for a way to get some legal experience this summer or after completing the bar exam, GGU’s Pro Bono Program might be the perfect solution. You can volunteer in numerous different capacities and legal fields to get valuable practical training. Best of all, you can control your own schedule when it comes to the pro bono projects you take on.

Performing pro bono work involves volunteering your legal services without receiving any academic credit or compensation. Students will work under the supervision of a practicing attorney. GGU’s program with the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC) connects students and alumni with short-term and long-term volunteer projects all around the Bay Area.

As a pro bono volunteer, you can staff client intake clinics, participate in legislative advocacy, and represent low-income clients in a variety of substantive legal areas, including immigration, family and housing law. Engaging in pro bono work allows you to build your legal skills, while at the same time building your community.

To gain access to the online database of pro bono projects and sign up to receive a weekly pro bono e-newsletter, please visit www.lawstudentprobono.org. The Law Student Pro Bono Coordinator, Doan Nguyen, will be updating this site continuously throughout the summer. You can access the latest postings once you sign up. The site also provides a calendar of events and trainings relating to the pro bono projects.

Current students, please remember that you can apply the hours performed over the summer to next year's application for the Pro Bono Honor Society (remember that all upper class students have to complete 25 hours per year).

If you have any questions about pro bono projects or PIC, please feel free to contact Elana Konstant, at ekonstant@ggu.edu, or Doan Nguyen, dnguyen@pic.org.

In addition to engaging in some pro bono work, be sure to also use your summer break to continue your professional development. Please review this article for some tips on how to make the most of these next few months.

Are You On Board With Pro Bono?

by Elana Konstant
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs

GGU’s Pro Bono Program has been proven very successful for GGU and for the community! Since October 2009, ninety students have contributed over 650 hours of pro bono work, helping over 400 clients. These numbers demonstrate our students’ dedication to providing access to justice for all. GGU is proud of these achievements for the inaugural year of the Local Law Student Pro Bono Program.

Also new this year is the Pro Bono Honor Society, which provides a chance for students to be formally recognized for all the amazing pro bono work they have been doing. First-year students who have performed over 10 hours of pro bono work and upper-class students who have performed more than 25 hours of pro bono work each year are eligible for membership. Additionally, all students completing more than 60 hours of pro bono prior to graduation will receive special recognition from Dean Ramey.

Students should simply fill out the application form (even if you have already submitted time sheets through the Law Student Pro Bono Program) to be considered for the program. You can access the application form here. The Pro Bono Honor Society applications are due Wednesday, March 31.

At the Public Interest Graduation Reception on Tuesday, April 20 students granted membership into the Society will be honored. Inductees will receive a certificate of membership, and can note this distinction on their resumes. Graduating inductees will also receive a gift to recognize their contributions. We look forward to celebrating your efforts at this event!

Pro Bono Honor Society

To acknowledge and reward those students who dedicate a significant portion of their time to helping others through the Law Student Pro Bono Program, GGU has established a Pro Bono Honor Society.

Membership in this society will signify that a student has performed at least 10 hours of pro bono work in his/her first year and at least 25 hours of pro bono work for each of the upper-class years. Any student completing more than 60 hours of pro bono prior to graduation will receive special recognition from Dean Ramey.

Students inducted into the Society will be honored at the Public Interest Graduation Reception in April. Inductees will receive a certificate stating their membership, and can note membership on their resumes. Graduating inductees will receive a gift to recognize their contributions.

The entire GGU community is excited about the new Pro Bono Program and Honor Society. GGU looks forward to motivating its students to volunteer and make justice accessible for society's most vulnerable members.

Celebrating Pro Bono at GGU

by Elana Konstant
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs

The Pro Bono Open House Celebration on October 27 was a great success! Thank you to all of the students who turned out to hear Dean Ramey, Julia Wilson and Steven MacDonald speak about the value of pro bono work. Over 100 students also came to mingle with twelve pro bono project representatives from various organizations, including Bay Area Legal Aid, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach and Volunteer Legal Services Program. The event was an impressive kick off to the new Law Student Pro Bono Program that we are running with the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC).

For those of you who were not able to make it to the open house, the pro bono program will connect GGU students with short-term and long-term volunteer projects all around the Bay Area. As volunteers, students can staff client intake clinics, engage in legislative advocacy and policy work, and represent low-income families in a variety of substantive legal areas. The diversity of available pro bono opportunities is designed to be flexible to fit your busy schedules. Performing pro bono work allows you to contribute to the betterment of your community while simultaneously developing your legal skills.

If you have any questions about pro bono projects or about PIC, please feel free to contact the coordinator of the Law Student Pro Bono Project, Doan Nguyen, who is also the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at PIC. You can reach her by email (dnguyen@pic.org) or telephone (415-834-0100, ext. 311).
To gain access to the online database of pro bono projects and sign up to receive the pro bono e-newsletter, please visit www.lawstudentprobono.org. Doan will be updating this site continuously and you can access the latest postings once you sign up. The site also provides a calendar of events and trainings.

Please get involved today to start paving the way for justice.

Pro Bono Opportunities

In addition to soaking up the sun this summer, you can also take advantage of the many pro bono opportunities available in the Bay Area. For those who are unsure what pro bono work is, it is simply work done on behalf of the public good, which means you will be volunteering your legal services without expectation of compensation or class credit. However, you will be justly rewarded with numerous benefits, such as:

1. Gaining valuable legal experience through development of your legal practice skills (e.g. interviewing clients, writing and research, or engaging in trial preparation).

2. Obtaining substantive training in different practice areas, which will help make you more marketable to potential employers.

3. Expanding your professional network by forging relationships with practicing attorneys.

For law students, LCS has compiled a list of pro bono opportunities in various practice areas that indicates your expected time commitment, spells out your responsibilities, and provides the appropriate contact information. You can find that list here.

For current graduates and our newly-minted lawyers, the San Francisco Bar Association has created its 2009 Pro Bono Resource Guide, which will greatly assist you in finding a volunteer opportunity that matches your interests. The Guide divides its pro bono opportunities into fourteen different practice areas, and it also includes who you should contact, describes the type of work you’ll be performing, indicates the training you’ll receive, and discusses your expected time commitment. You can find that guide here.
 

The Value of Pro Bono

"In engaging in public service, law students are awakened to the sense of personal satisfaction that comes from helping people, a feeling they are not likely to experience in their other classes."

-- Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

by Danny Wang
LCS Grad Fellow

Despite the challenging job market that confronts us, there are numerous pro bono opportunities that should be utilized by law students and graduates. For those who are unsure what pro bono work is, it is simply work done on behalf of the public good, which means you will be volunteering your legal services without expectation of compensation or class credit. However, in return, pro bono work offers a wide array of personal and professional benefits such as:

1. Providing valuable legal services for citizens and organizations with limited means, as more than 75 percent of the essential legal needs of the poor go unmet each year.
2. Developing and enhancing your legal practice skills (e.g. interviewing clients, writing and research, or engaging in trial preparation).
3. Obtaining valuable training in various areas of substantive law, which will not only make you more marketable to future employers, but will also help you figure out what practice areas you want to specialize in during and after law school.
4. Forging relationships with practicing attorneys who will later become part of your professional network.
5. Requiring only a modest time commitment, making them appropriate for first year law students.

For more information regarding how you can become involved in pro bono work, please stop by Law Career Services to pick up an updated list of Bay Area pro bono opportunities. This list includes a description of various organizations that are in need of volunteers and also provides general application instructions and contact information. This list can also be downloaded from the Resource Library on LCSonline.

You can also learn more about the value of pro bono efforts in the Pro Bono Workshop, which will be held today, Tuesday, March 3rd from noon to 1 pm in room 5207. This event will feature GGU alumnus Steven McDonald (JD 79) and Megan Colla of the Volunteer Legal Services Program run by the San Francisco Bar Association.