2020 Summer Forum Preview: Criminal Justice Representation Imperative
In his 2014 memoir Just Mercy, attorney Bryan Stevenson tells the world how he found his professional purpose: overhauling the United States’ prison system. Stevenson spent his 1L summer at the Southern Center for Human Rights assisting prisoners on Alabama’s death row. Today, Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative takes on not only the death penalty but also wrongful convictions, inhumane prison conditions, and the placement of children in adult correctional facilities. You do not need to be Bryan Stevenson to work on criminal justice issues. Join us for our final virtual panel, Criminal Law & the Death Penalty, on Thursday, July 23 at noon to learn how you can get involved.
2020 Summer Forum Preview: Protecting Civil Rights is Vital Work
At our 2020 Summer Forum, the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties panel will discuss how lawyers can be involved in the fight to protect civil rights & civil liberties. The panel will explore the critical role lawyers play in protecting individuals exercising First Amendment speech rights at protests, providing post-arrest assistance, and making sure that issues like voters’ rights are guaranteed during a time when in-person voting may not be possible. All of these issues and more will be discussed at the Civil Rights & Civil Liberties panel on Tuesday, July 21 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET.
Welcome our 2020 Summer Intern Nefertari Elshiekh
We are thrilled to welcome Nefertari Elshiekh, a rising sophomore at the University of Central Florida, as our 2020 Summer Intern. Learn more about her below and say hello next time you “see” her at one of our events.
2020 Summer Forum Preview: Opportunities for Individual Representation and Systemic Advocacy Abound in Human Rights & Immigration Law
At our 2020 Summer Forum, the popular Human Rights & Immigration panel will discuss how advocates are fighting to protect immigrants’ basic human rights under extraordinarily difficult circumstances in the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel continues to be a superb opportunity for law students, recent graduates, and new lawyers to learn how to advocate for immigrants across diverse practice areas.
2020 Summer Forum Preview: Varied and Wide-Ranging Pro Bono Opportunities in Poverty Law
Individuals living in poverty face numerous issues both legal and non-legal every day. In these uncertain and rapidly-changing times, those at or below the federal poverty level are being disproportionally displaced, harassed, and abused. Lawyers who practice in this area have to employ both traditional techniques and creative problem-solving methods to ensure the best outcomes for their clients. The areas of law the legal issues touch upon – landlord tenant, consumer, family – have the highest rate of pro se litigants and can produce some of the most life-changing outcomes. Representation is vital in these areas, and the need is overwhelming. Pro bono lawyers who take on these cases can be life-savers. Join us on Tuesday, July 14 at noon for the second in our series of five breakout panels exploring the means to incorporate pro bono into your professional life and avenues to support under-represented individuals.
2020 Summer Forum Preview: Pro Bono Opportunities Outside the Courtroom
Not all battles are won in the courtroom. As many know, litigation is lengthy, costly, and in many instances, not needed. One study found upwards of 92 percent of cases settle out of court, and in fact, for many litigants, trying to reach an out of court settlement is better for both parties. Pro bono attorneys play a crucial role not only in helping pre-trial settlement agreements reach fruition, and in making sure that both parties are adequately represented, but also in a host of other transactional law matters from ensuring that clients are complying with statutes and regulations, to advocating for policies that will bring about needed change and reform to our legal system.
Starting In-House: Mentorship to Support Black Lawyers During Unprecedented Circumstances
The recent killings of Black men and women coupled with the disproportionate number of deaths in the Black community due to COVID-19 have rocked our nation. Across the country, lawyers are brainstorming and banding together to develop creative and impactful methods to assist the Black community. I challenge the legal profession to start in-house at our own firms and organizations by becoming mentors and sponsors to Black lawyers.
ABA Lawyer Well-Being Week Round-Up
2020 has been a doozy of a year. Pro bono and public-interest lawyers normally are stretched thin due to the challenging nature of the work they do and the limited resources they have to support their work. Many in the public-interest community experience secondary trauma when they are indirectly exposed to the traumas that their clients experience. This can be a complicated situation to navigate even under normal circumstances. This year, the challenges of pro bono and public-interest work are amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help, we have signed on to to the ABA Lawyer Well-Being Pledge and are offering opportunities for our members to connect and de-stress, as well as resources, tips, and informative articles for people who want to learn more about how to stay well while navigating a stressful profession.
What to Watch During Quarantine – Washington Council of Lawyers Edition
You may be binge-watching bad Netflix series . . . but you could be inspired by these Washington Council of Lawyers greatest hits instead!