UBSPI Summer Grant Applications Now Available

The application for the 2012 summer UBSPI grants are now available for download on our TWEN page.  The application schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, November 16, 2011     

Application is released via TWEN.

Thursday, March 8, 2012                

Applications (hard copy) are due no later than 5:00pm to the LCDO. 

Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, March 5. 

Friday, March 30, 2012                   

Applicants will be notified of the final decisions.  (This date is subject to change).

For more information on past years' grantees and their summer internship experiences, click here.   

Public Interest Loan Forgiveness, Scholarship, and Grant Info Session

Wednesday, November 16
12pm
Room 201, UB Law School

Do you want to pursue a career in social justice but not sure how you'll survive on a public interest salary?  Come to our information session to learn about loan forgiveness options, scholarship opportunities, and UBSPI-sponsored summer public interest grants.  Jill Green of UB Law's LCDO, along with UBSPI board members, will present on the various financial options available to you.

Lunch will be served.  See you there!

It's Alive!

Out in the Streets is back for the 2011-2012 school year.  Stay tuned for news about upcoming UBSPI meetings, networking and fundraising events, volunteer opportunities, and information about summer public interest grants. 

A very special welcome to our new members - we are looking forward to a great year ahead. 

Congratulations to the 2011 Summer Public Interest Grant Recipients!

Recently, the University of Baltimore Students for Public Interest Law (UBSPI) awarded grants to 15 UB Law students to intern at public interest organizations and offices this summer.  Funding for the grants is provided from UBSPI’s annual public interest auction and generous support from the law school and the Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC).

Please congratulate the recipients of this year’s grants and thank them for their dedication to public interest law:

Amy Joy Omens – U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Benjamin Stirling – Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Neighborhood Defenders
Catherine Seward – Maryland Disability Law Center
Gillian Yeadon – Howard County Center for Domestic Violence
Jessica Emerson – Legal Aid Society, Trafficking Victims Legal Defense and Advocacy Project
Katie Walsh – Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Neighborhood Defenders
Kevin Hilgers – DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice  
Laura Chafey – Mid-Shore Pro Bono, Inc.
Lauren Whitaker – Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education
Natalie D’Antonio – House of Ruth
Nicole Harris-Crest – Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Juvenile Division
Sara Cimino – Project HEAL
Shiri Ahronovich – National Partnership for Women and Families
T. Hayden Barnes – Project HEAL
Tawny Holmes – National Association of the Deaf

Register for UB's Community Service Day (April 15)

Every year since 2002, the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement has brought together hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni to volunteer a day of their time, creating positive change in communities throughout the Greater Baltimore region. Volunteer groups travel to more than a dozen service sites, beautifying neighborhoods, rehabbing houses, repainting schools, mentoring youth, providing food to those in need, and more.

For more information and to register, click here.

Summer Grant Application Deadline Extended

The summer grant application deadline has been extended one week to APRIL 1, 2011 at 5pm.

Applications are available on our TWEN page. 

UBSPI will be awarding $4,000 summer grants to UB Law students interning at public interest organizations and offices.  To read about past recipients' summer experiences, click here.

Register Online Today For This Year's Auction! (March 11)

Registration has never been easier...Click here to register and pay securely online!

UB Students             Alumni/Friends

$20 in advance           $25 in advance
$25 at the door           $30 at the door

Join the University of Baltimore School of Law and University of Baltimore Students for Public Interest Law (UBSPI) for the 17th Annual UBSPI auction on March 11!   Click here to view this year's auction brochure full of great items and services to bid on both in the live and silent auctions. 

Enjoy live and silent auctions, raffles, tasty hors d'oeuvres, a beer and wine bar, and the opportunity to connect with fellow students and alumni, all while raising money for a good cause: summer fellowships at public interest organizations for UB Law students. 

My Public Interest Summer, Part 9

This past summer, UBSPI - in conjunction with MLSC and the University of Baltimore School of Law - funded 11 UB law students to work in public interest organizations throughout Maryland.  Their stories and experiences will be highlighted on Out in the Streets throughout the year.  For more information about our summer public interest grants, click here.

 Interning at Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) was an excellent opportunity to gain practical legal experience and invaluable in shaping my future career plans in public interest. I learned under the mentorship of two experienced public interest lawyers about the unique demands of lawyers assisting clients who are homeless, or facing homelessness, and the many legal challenges that they face. It was eye-opening to see the number of people who need assistance due to government denials of benefits. It was satisfying to see the successes and the effect of, say, an extra $60 a month.  It helped me to realize how important it is to have sound government policies that work for, not against, the needs of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable population.

The internship provided me with an opportunity to interact directly with clients: assisting with the intake process; giving “know your rights” presentations; and engaging in outreach initiatives in the community. 

Through this internship I was able to develop a fuller understanding of the law and how it applies to clients receiving public benefits and/or government-subsidized housing.  Seeing the high demand of the staff attorneys and the seemingly endless demand for legal assistance, I felt I was able to contribute something meaningful to HPRP as well as to the clients that I interacted with. 

--- Catherine Seward, University of Baltimore School of Law

Summer Grant Application Meeting This Wednesday (2/16)

UBSPI will be releasing the application for its 2011 summer grants on Wednesday, February 16.  Students interested in pursuing internships with public interest organizations this summer are encouraged to apply.  At 12pm and 5pm in LC 201 on February 16, we will hold a brief meeting to explain the application process and answer any questions.

To read about past grant recipients' internship experiences last summer, click here.  

Grant applications will only be available for download on the UBSPI TWEN page.  If you are not yet a member, please add us to your TWEN page courses.  

UB / UM Public Service Career Fair (2/17)

UB/UM Public Service Career Fair
Thursday, February 17th from 3pm-5:30pm.
University of Maryland School of Law

 
Public sector employers from Baltimore and DC will be in attendance for table talk conversations at this year's career fair.  These employers are accepting applications for summer and/or fall internships and are eligible organizations for UBSPI Public Interest Grants.

The fair takes place at the University of Maryland School of Law, Westminster Hall, 519 W. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD, just a short and easy light rail ride away from UB. Pre-registration is not required.
 
See below some of the employers planning to attend.  (Please note this list is not exhaustive; a final list will be available closer to the fair date).

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore City Law Department
Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office
CASA de Maryland
Catholic Relief Services
Civil Justice, Inc.
Community Law Center
Department of Housing and Urban Development
EEOC Office of Administrative Judges
Federal Bureau of Prisons, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
House of Ruth
Legal Services Division Baltimore City Department of Social Services
Maryland Disability Law Center
Maryland Office of the Attorney General
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
National Labor Relations Board
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO)
Office of IRS Chief Counsel, Baltimore
Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
Office of the County Attorney, Rockville, MD
State of Maryland, Office of the Public Defender

Help Underserved DC High School Students Dress for Success!

UBSPI will be collecting your used professional attire (suits, ties, jackets, skirts, blouses, etc) on February 8th and 9th in the law school lobby.  

Each spring, high school students from the Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy, an urban charter school in Washington, DC, participate in internships at NGOs, government offices, and non-profits throughout the city to learn about public policy and professionalism.  Many of these students do not have enough business attire for these internships.  Please be as generous as you can!

When:  February 8 and 9, 2011

Time:  11:00am-5:00pm
Where:  Law School Lobby

Any questions or need to drop off items at a different time?  Please contact Brett Schwartz at brett.schwartz@ubalt.edu.  Co-sponsored by PAD and the WBA.  

Opportunities in Gender and Feminist Law

Are you interested in internship or job opportunities related to gender and feminist issues?  The law school's Center on Applied Feminism has an extensive list of openings on their website which can be found here.  

The Center on Applied Feminism serves as a bridge between feminist legal theory and the law. Unique within the legal academy, the Center seeks to apply feminist insights to legal practice and the policy arena. In particular, the Center examines how feminist theory can benefit legal practitioners in representing clients, shape legal doctrine, and play a role in policy debates and implementation. The Center has faculty affiliates from throughout the University.

For more informatoin about the Center or opportunities in gender and feminist law, please contact the faculty affiliaties, Professors Michele Gilman, Leigh Goodmark, and Margaret Johnson.   

Summer Internship Opportunity at the Public Justice Center

The Public Justice Center is recruiting law students to intern in their Tenant Advocacy Project, Workplace Justice Project and Appellate/Civil Right to Counsel Project during the summer of 2011.

Applicants may apply for more than one of position, but must submit complete and separate applications for each position, according to the application instructions.  Each intern will be supervised by an attorney in the project.  The internship involves a significant amount of legal research and writing. Interns will also be asked to conduct client intake, analyze the potential impact of a given case, and engage in other advocacy strategies.

UB Law Students:  Click here for the application on TWEN 

If you have questions they can be directed to:
Monisha Cherayil
Public Justice Center
1 North Charles Street, Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-625-9409 x. 234

My Public Interest Summer, Part 8

This past summer, UBSPI - in conjunction with MLSC and the University of Baltimore School of Law - funded 11 UB law students to work in public interest organizations throughout Maryland.  Their stories and experiences will be highlighted on Out in the Streets throughout the year.  For more information about our summer public interest grants, click here.

This past summer I interned for the United States Marshals Service, Office of General Counsel.  The Office of General Counsel provides legal representation and advice to U.S. Marshals Service senior staff and the thousands of Deputy U.S. Marshals in field.  In addition, the Office of General Counsel adjudicates over 400 administrative tort claims each year, filed pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C.§§ 2671, et seq..  My primary duty was to process my assigned administrative tort claims from "cradle to grave."  I would conduct a factual investigation, then research the applicable state law, and finally draft a legal memorandum in which I made my recommendation on the claim.  Each legal memorandum was reviewed by the tort claims administrator, a staff attorney, and ultimately approved or denied by the General Counsel.  In addition to these responsibilities, I completed an in-depth legal analysis of how well a particular law enforcement technique complied with Fourth Amendment search and seizure law.  

I was drawn to this internship because I hoped to match my commitment to public service with my interest in constitutional law.  My internship experience far exceeded my expectations.  After the numerous field trips to FBI Headquarters, the ATF K-9 training facility and the Supreme Court of the United States, along with the interest each staff attorney took in my personal and professional development, I am left with only gratitude for the experience, and appreciation for the challenging work the U.S. Marshals Service provided me over the course of my ten week internship.  I would recommend this internship to any student wishing to translate a strong public service drive into a career with the Department of Justice.

--- Brady Locher, University of Baltimore School of Law

Help Make This Year's Auction a Success!

One of the most talked about law school social events of the spring, the Annual UBSPI Public Interest Auction, will be held Friday, March 11 in the Business Center.  The auction funds summer grant opportunities for UB students working at area public interest organizations.  However, this event cannot be a success without YOU!  

Please join us on Saturday, January 22 at 2pm in the law school lobby to fan out across Baltimore and solicit local businesses and organizations to contribute items to the auction.  We will end the day with drinks and snacks at Turp’s.  

If you are interested in helping us out on Saturday (or throughout the auction planning process), please e-mail ubspi@ubalt.edu or sign up on our TWEN page.  

My Public Interest Summer, Part 7

This past summer, UBSPI - in conjunction with MLSC and the University of Baltimore School of Law - funded 11 UB law students to work in public interest organizations throughout Maryland.  Their stories and experiences will be highlighted on Out in the Streets throughout the year.  For more information about our summer public interest grants, click here.

This summer I was given the opportunity to work with the start-up of a non-profit organization known as the FreeState Legal Project.  FreeState’s mission is to provide legal services for low-income LGBT community members who are excluded from basic civil rights and privileges.  FreeState has a particular focus on LGBT youth, minorities, immigrants, and transgender people who especially lack the financial means to private counsel.   Many of them have been ostracized by their own families and communities.

With FreeState, I was able to research grant opportunities, as well as to work on writing them.  I was able to work on my legal writing and research skills by researching current LGBT law in areas such as family law, transgender law, discrimination protection, and employment law.  I was also able to network with many different LGBT organizations, as well as with the board of FreeState in an effort to unify the groups and also to talk and meet with many people from the LGBT community to discuss the legal needs of the LGBT community.

--- Audra Peddicord, University of Baltimore School of Law

Public Interest Fellowship (PIF) Applications Due January 14th

PIF provides second-year day and third-year evening students a full-time, paid summer experience at the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau designed to lead to an offer of post-graduate employment. The program gives students a $4000 stipend to intern at for the summer and a forgivable loan for their full third year tuition and fees. In exchange, the students commit to working for the Legal Aid Bureau upon graduation for a minimum of three years. Applications are due January 14th. For more information, and to download the application, click here.  

My Public Interest Summer, Part 6

This past summer, UBSPI - in conjunction with MLSC and the University of Baltimore School of Law - funded 11 UB law students to work in public interest organizations throughout Maryland.  Their stories and experiences will be highlighted on Out in the Streets throughout the year.  For more information about our summer public interest grants, click here.

My experience at House of Ruth's Domestic Violence Legal Clinic was beneficial to me because it showed me that I absolutely can use my legal education to help those who are disenfranchised, impoverished, or otherwise unable to help themselves. 

On a personal level, the clinic provided an amazing opportunity to make a huge difference in the life of a client each and every day.  Clients depended on our clinic as a last resort to find a way out of some truly horrendous situations.  The great weight of their dire plights were counterbalanced by their overwhelming gratitude when we were able to make a difference.

On a professional level, this internship provided an opportunity to get real practice experience that is unmatched by any other opportunity of which I am aware.  At any given moment, I have five to ten clients for whom I was responsible.  I conducted client interviews, gave them information, and acted as a liaison to legal counsel.  I was able to truly advocate for clients to try and solve everyday problems. 

This was an experience that will undoubtedly prove to be invaluable in my future legal career.  I would be honored to work for House of Ruth in the future and would unequivocally recommend the experience to anyone interested in Public Interest Law.

--- Justin Wilkinson, University of Baltimore School of Law