Public
Interest
Resource
Center
Public Interest Matters
Chicago-Kent College of Law
6 February – 19 February, 2006
PIRC is student-staffed
and administered
through the Law
Offices of ChicagoKent
Volume 4, Issue 8
Upcoming Public Interest Law Events
Human Trafficking
Nominate a student for the ISBA Public Service Award!
Panel Discussion
The Illinois State Bar Association will honor a law student who has demTuesday, February 7,
onstrated outstanding participation in volunteer public service and extra2006, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
curricular activities. The deadline for nominations is April 14. For more
at Loyola University.
info, contact Janet Sosin at [email protected] or 800-678-4009. Copies of
This event will focus on the issues of
the nomination forms are on the ISBA bulletin board, Concourse level. The
Human Trafficking at both the domestic
final award recipient will receive an all expense paid trip to the ISBA Anand international levels and will address
nual Meeting, including transportation and lodging. This year’s award will
how social workers can advocate for this
be presented on June 16, 2006, at The Abbey on Lake Geneva in Fontana,
vulnerable population. The event is at
Wisconsin.
Loyola University’s Water Tower Cam- the public. Sponsored by the Chicago
Members, $20 for Non-members.
pus, in the Rubloff Auditorium. Free to
Bar Association, the United States HoloCall 312-554-2056 to register.
attnd. Refreshments provided. Please
caust Memorial Museum, and The ChiConsider a career working for the
RSVP to Cathy Bertrand at cbercago Public Library. For complete event
government. The Fair will begin
[email protected].
details, go to http://www.chicagobar.org/
with a panel discussion on legal
nurembergevent/events.pdf.
careers in public service followed
Informational Reception about Chiby an opportunity to meet reprecago-Kent's CertifiFifth Annual Norman Amaker Public
sentatives from local government
cate Programs
Interest Law Retreat, February 24 - 26,
offices. Resumes will be accepted
Wednesday, February
2006. Hosted by
at the discretion of the agencies.
8, 2006, 4:15 pm Indiana University
5:45 pm. on the 10th
School of Law. The
Kent Justice Foundation’s Study Aid
Floor. Learn about
Retreat will be held at
Sale & Holiday Bake Sale Tuesday,
the Public Interest
Bradford Woods, a
February 14, 2006, 9 am - 6 pm. Spak.
Certificate Program as well as all the
short 45 minute drive
Buy fabulous Valentine’s
other certificates offered at Kent. Meet
from Indianapolis, IN
day treats prepared by KJF
faculty and students in the certificate
and is open to all students interested in
members. And buy some
programs and have a snack.
public interest law and social justice isstudy aids to help you
in your classes! All proThe Legacies of Nuremberg March 29 sues. The Retreat is sponsored by Indiceeds go toward summer
and March 30. 2006.. Attend a series of ana U. Law School and the Society of
dynamic lectures and exhibits exploring American Law Teachers. For more infor- fellowships for students doing public inmation, go to http://www.indylaw.
terest work.
the Holocaust, the Nurindiana.edu/clinics/amaker/retreat.htm.
emberg Trials, and their
National Lawyers Guild Legal ObAttend panels on various public interest
lasting influence on our
topics throughout the weekend. Speakers server Training Session Friday, Februsystem of justice. This
ary 17, 2006, 3-4 pm. The room will be
will come from all over the Midwest.
series of symposia comannounced in the Record. For more info,
memorates the 60th anni- Chicago Bar Association YLS Governcontact Austin at [email protected].
versary of the Nuremberg Trials. Most
ment Service Career Fair
symposia will be offered free to memSaturday, March 4, 2006, 9 am - 12:30
bers of the profession, law students and
pm. 321 S. Plymouth Ct. $15 for CBA
Earn the Chicago-Kent Certificate of Service Award— submit your hours!
Students who complete at least 50 hours of volunteer service during law school are eligible for this award. If you complete 250 hours of volunteer service, your name will be
displayed on a plaque in the school building.
PIRC Spring 2006 Office Hours: Caroline Cascino: M-F, 1:00-2:00. Laura Reasons: M 3:00-4:00; Tu
2:00-4:00; W 3:00-4:0; Th 11:00-12:30; F 2:0-3:00. Michelle Yu: M 11:00-1:00; Tu 11:00-1:00; Th 12:001:00; F 2:00-5:00
Or visit our website at www.kentlaw.edu/publicinterest/pirc/.
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single
moment before starting to improve the world.
Page 2
- Anne Frank
Spotlight on …
Volunteer Opportunities
PIRC’s Pick
Pick-- Court Watching Initiative, Criminal Justice Project
Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice is conducting a study of Cook County’s criminal justice
system. Law students are needed for court-watching. You will be paid $10/hour for courtwatching (two 4-hour sessions OR four 2-hour sessions in the courtroom) and for writing up
your observations (~2 hours). Mandatory training will be on Tuesday, February 28, 2006,
12pm - 2pm, at 750 N. Lake Shore Dr., 4th fl. conference room. Lunch provided. Criminal
defense clinic students are eligible. However, current interns for the State's Attorney, Public
Defender, and private defense attorneys are ineligible. PIRC will be collecting names, so
email [email protected] by 2/15/06 with your name, phone, and available days/times.
ABA Public Service Summer Internship
The American Bar Association’s Division
for Public Service sponsors an annual Public
Service Summer Internship. The
internship is a unique program
designed for 2nd and 3rd year
law students to engage in an
individualized public interest
legal research and writing project over a 10-week summer
period. Students will develop
and complete a substantive legal monograph
with the opportunity to be published. The
project must involve one of the following
areas of law: Bioethics and the Law, Disability Law, Election Law, Environmental Law,
Homelessness and Poverty, Immigration
Law, Law Library of Congress and Access
to Legal Resources, National Security Law,
Substance Abuse, Public Interest in Law
School and as a Career. This internship is
unpaid and students are encouraged to incorporate the Internship into an externship/internship program. See Prof. Gross for
more information about externships. For
more info and to apply, visit http://www.
abanet.org/publicserv/home.html. Applications must be postmarked by February 15,
2006.
East Village
Youth Program
Work with elementary and
some high school-aged students in this West
Town not-for-profit college preparatory organization. Seeking once a week commitment, one hour a night (Monday-Thursday
from 6:00-7:15pm). Other opportunities are
available as well. For more info, visit
http://www.evyp.org/.
The American Red Cross
of Greater Chicago will
offer CPR Training to 2,000
individuals in one day at
Navy Pier on Saturday, February 18, 2006. Volunteers are needed as
greeters, sales representatives, floor assistants and more. Visit chicagoredcross.org for
more info and to register online. Morning
session registration will begin at 7:00 am
with orientation beginning at 7:30 am; shift
starts at 8:00am and ends at 1:00pm. Afternoon session registration will begin at 11:30
am with orientation beginning at 12:00 pm;
shift starts at 12:30am and ends at 5:30pm.
Midtown/Metro Tutoring Program
Metro Achievement Center for girls and
Midtown Center for boys are
looking for tutors/mentors for
their programs both in Chicago
and Waukegan. Metro (in
Greektown & Waukegan) and
Midtown (in Bucktown & Waukegan) offer life-changing programs that help economically disadvantaged
students acquire the habits and attitudes of
achievers. Volunteers provide one-on-one
attention and serve as successful adult role
models. The commitment is only two hours a
week, and the centers are easily accessible by
public transportation. Check out
www.midtown-metro.org for info. Women:
Contact Angela Albrecht at 312-226-4886,
ext. 226 or [email protected].
Men: Contact Angel Diaz at 773-292-2662,
or [email protected].
Mexican American Legal
Defense and Education Fund
188 West Randolph Street
Suite 1405
Chicago, IL 60601
312-782-1422
http://www.maldef.org
MALDEF is a national Latino
civil rights advocacy organization
dedicated to preserving and expanding civil rights in employment, education, immigrant rights,
political access and public resource equity for Latinos. They
work on class action matters concerning immigrant rights, employment discrimination, voters' rights,
political access and education.
MALDEF deals with cases which
have the greatest impact on the
Latino community.
The legal department staff accomplish their objectives through impact litigation, public policy, advocacy and community education. It
chooses among these strategies
based on the circumstances of the
issue, past success or difficulty,
staff resources and capabilities and
financial resources. In other
words, all goals will not be addressed simultaneously, but as
needs and opportunities arise.
Headquartered in Los Angeles,
MALDEF has regional offices in
Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Chicago, and Washington,
D.C., with a satellite office in Sacramento and program office in
Houston. MALDEF's staff of 75
employees include 22 attorneys.