Community Legal Aid and Northeast Ohio Legal Services are private non-profit law firms which work to bridge the gap between poverty and justice for low income and elderly residents of central northeast Ohio.  We concentrate our efforts on legal work that makes a difference in the lives of poor people.

• Legal Aid provides economic benefits for clients by ensuring that they receive public benefits (e.g., unemployment insurance, Medicaid, housing subsidies, etc.) to which they are entitled and by preventing the collection of wrongful or unenforceable debt
•   Legal Aid improves the lives of poor people by:
      ▪    securing their personal safety by obtaining the protection and support orders which permit victims of domestic violence to make a fresh start free   from   abuse,
      ▪    obtaining health care benefits to which they are entitled,
      ▪    preventing homelessness by defending eviction actions and ensuring the habitability of dwellings,
      ▪    protecting consumer and taxpayer rights and essential property, and
      ▪    helping people to make informed personal decisions through the provision of timely, accurate legal advice and information and through the provision of pro se assistance.

Legal Aid has openings for Summer Associates in four (4) of our Northeast Ohio offices.  Job descriptions for the various positions are listed below.

We will be interviewing on-campus at the University of Akron, Cleveland- Marshall College of Law, and Case Western Reserve University. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis, and will continue to be accepted until all available positions are filled. Deadlines for submission may be earlier due to law school interviewing schedules. Please contact your law school’s career services office for more information.  Telephone interviews are available for applicants who are unable to participate in person.

Overview

Legal Aid is looking for dedicated, hard-working, and public-interest minded students for its Summer Associate program.  Legal Aid has opportunities available for 2L’s (with or without intern certificate) and 1L’s.  Summer Associates are expected to work unpaid for at least 10 weeks and may work up to 13 weeks.

Applicants must list their top two project preferences in their cover letter (see 2010 Summer Associate program descriptions) and describe why they are interested and what they hope to experience.  Cover letters which do not indicate preferences may not receive full consideration.

Summer Associates will work in different areas of the law and have different experiences.  Generally, Summer Associates may expect to interview clients, draft client letters, draft court pleadings, research relevant legal issues, attend and assist with court hearings, assist with discovery and analyze evidence, and complete various other tasks as assigned.

All Summer Associates will receive training in substantive areas of poverty law, and may observe oral arguments in the Federal District Court or the Court of Appeals and meet afterward with judges involved. There will also be brown bag lunches with current Legal Aid lawyers and community members.  Past participants have included a judge, a civil rights attorney, and leaders of local non-profit agencies.

Funding

Due to limited financial resources, Legal Aid’s Summer Associate positions are unpaid.  Applicants are encouraged to apply for summer funding through the following sources.  Please indicate in your cover letter what funding sources you will be applying for:

• Summer grants / fellowships through individual law schools
• Equal Justice Works, Summer Corps Program, may be offered in 2010. In 2009 the fellowships were not cash awards, but were $1000 educational grants which could be applied to educational debt or future education costs.  These were awarded on a first come, first served basis so check the web site and be sure to apply as soon as the application is available on line—they go quickly.  www.equaljusticeworks.org or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• Equal Justice America - Visit www.equaljusticeamerica.org for application details.
• Work Study Funding - Some universities offer work study funding for summer positions.  Please check with your law school financial aid office for particulars at your law school.  Please note that work-study money may reduce the amount of loans available to you for the following two semesters.  Talk with your financial aid office to determine how work-study money may affect you.

These are just a few of the many funding possibilities.  For more funding opportunities, visit the “Summer Funding” page under “Helpful Resources” at www.pslawnet.org

Course Credit / Externship Credit

Community Legal Aid often supervises students working for externship or other credit.  Please indicate in your cover letter if you intend to work with your law school to receive course credit for your summer associate position.

Applications Procedure and Student Qualifications

Summer Associate applicants should have completed their first year of law school by the time they commence work in the summer of 2010.

• We give special consideration to students with a demonstrated commitment to serving disadvantaged people and communities.
• Law students who speak Spanish are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Please submit a cover letter*, resume, three references and a completed application

*Remember to include your top two projects / unit preferences (see Summer Associate Positions below) and whether you are willing to volunteer, will be receiving credit, are work-study eligible or are applying for a public interest summer grant / fellowship

Send application materials to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and put Summer Associate Program in the subject line of your email. Note that applications will only be accepted through the online process. Do not send hard copies of the forms. All submissions will be acknowledged. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it If you do not receive a confirmation email within two days after sending your application, please re-send your application, and call (330) 983-2551.

Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate because of age, race, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or mental or physical disability.

Important Dates* Application deadline............................................................................................................ Rolling basis Offers extended (must be accepted within 72 hours).............................................................. Rolling basis Summer Associates announced.......................................................................................... Rolling basis Orientation...................................................................................................... June 7, 2010 @ 9:00 a.m. Summer Associate Program............................................................................. June 7 – August 13, 2010 Please note that the application period has been extended. We will be conducting on-campus interviews at the University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University, and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, so please check with your career services office for any important deadlines for the on-campus interview process. Please be aware that applying late may affect your ability to apply for and receive fellowships or outside funding, as many funding sources also have deadlines for their applications.

2010 Summer Associate Positions*

Bankruptcy Project................................................................................................ 3 positions (Akron)

Project: Low income families often have fragile budgets with little or no room for medical care or car repairs. Once collection action begins, delicate financial structures disintegrate and problems snowball. Wage attachments shortchange monthly household expenses. Rent may not be paid. A car may be repossessed. Eviction and loss of job are real possibilities. And all the while, calls from creditors and collection agencies demoralize a beleaguered household. Bankruptcy may be necessary to stabilize the family. In collaboration with the Akron Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Consumer Law Section, the Pro Bono Bankruptcy Program was developed to provide pro bono assistance for simple, no asset bankruptcies in Summit County.

Summer Associate Role: The Summer Associate will assist in interviewing potential clients, gathering informal discovery, drafting advice letters, conducting legal research, meeting with clients and developing client files prior to referral to private attorneys

Consumer Law / Administrative Law............................................... 2 positions (Akron / Youngstown)

Project: The Administrative Law Team provides direct economic benefits to clients by ensuring compliance with federal and state legislative intent to provide benefits for people who have lost income due to disability, family circumstance or job loss.  The Team represents clients who have been denied or terminated from unemployment compensation, Social Security, SSI, food stamps, Medicaid, etc.

The Consumer Law Team assists clients who have been victims of abusive or fraudulent consumer practices or who have debt which imperils their employment or housing. The Consumer Team represents clients in unfair debt collection, deceptive sales, unlawful repossessions, foreclosure and bankruptcies.

Summer Associate Role: The Summer Associate will assist in conducting client interviews, evidence gathering, legal research, drafting documents and pleadings, hearing preparation and attendance at administrative and court hearings.  A Summer Associate with an intern certificate could expect to represent a client in an administrative hearing, under the supervision of an attorney. The Summer Associate may also have an opportunity to develop or revise educational materials for use in the community.

Consumer Law.............................................................................................. 1 position (Youngstown)

Program: Northeast Ohio Legal Services focuses on consumer cases involving unfair and deceptive debt collection involving credit cards and abuses associated with used car sales, repairs and warranties.

Summer Associate Role: The summer associate’s responsibilities will include some or all of the following: interviewing clients, legal research, drafting pleadings and attending hearings related to these consumer law issues. The summer associate may also have an opportunity to develop or revise educational materials for use in the community.

Education Law.............................................................................................. 1 position (Youngstown)

Project: Northeast Ohio Legal Services focuses on education cases involving suspension and expulsion of primary and secondary school students and special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act.

Summer Associate Role: The Summer Associate’s responsibilities will include some or all of the following: interviewing clients, legal research, drafting complaints and attending meetings and administrative hearings related to these education law issues. The associate may also have an opportunity to develop or revise educational materials for use in the community.

Estates / Wills and Community Education............................................................... 1 position (Akron)

Project: Low income and elderly people need timely accurate information and advice in order to put their limited resources to best use. Financial and legal topics include: credit repair and reporting, fair debt collection, exemptions from attachment, expungements and clemency, simple estate planning issues, powers of attorney, living wills, durable powers of attorney, basic legal procedures, landlord tenant issues, etc. Simple wills, powers of attorney, and health care powers of attorney are prepared for elderly clients. Clients may also be assisted with nonliquid releases from administration.

Summer Associate Role: The Summer Associate will be involved in scheduling, updating and presenting community education sessions, researching and preparing new presentations, interviewing clients and preparing simple wills, powers of attorney and health care powers of attorney under the supervision of an attorney. The Summer Associate may also assist with administration of simple estates.

Family Team............................................................................ 3 positions (Akron / Canton / Warren)

Project: The Family Team helps clients gain personal security, economic security and household stability.  The Team assists clients seeking a Civil Protection Order (CPO), Stalking Protection Order (SCPO), divorce or custody order which promotes safety and stability. 

Summer Associate Role: The summer associate would assist in interviewing clients, gathering evidence, drafting pleadings, legal research, and attending hearings. 

An associate with an intern certificate could expect to represent a client in a CPO hearing.  The Team also assists clients seeking help through custody, divorce, visitation and child support pro se clinics.  The clinics vary by county.  The summer associate could expect to assist clients with completing legal documents and providing legal advice under the supervision of an attorney.

Foreclosure Project .............................................................................................. 2 positions (Akron)

Project: Legal Aid works closely with other programs throughout the state and the Ohio Attorney General’s office and local Save Our Homes Group to reduce the number of homes lost to foreclosure and the deterioration of local neighborhoods. Activities include: 1) community education concerning foreclosure prevention and community resources, 2) pro se facilitation, 3) recruiting, training and mentoring volunteers, 4) receiving, screening and placing clients with volunteer lawyers, 5) individual representation of homeowners both to preserve their homes and to reduce the economic consequences to the family caused by mortgage default and foreclosure, and 6) working with local and statewide coalitions to develop community responses. Team members developed a pilot program in Stark County to provide basic education in a clinic setting concerning foreclosure and the mediation process.  In Trumbull and Summit Counties, team members work closely with Court mediation programs to provide representation to pro se homeowners in the mediation process.

Summer Associate Role: The Summer Associate will engage with clinic participants; review real estate sales contracts and mortgage documents; draft pleadings; conduct legal research; gather evidence; attend a hearing or mediation; and assist in developing or adapting community education materials. The Associate can also expect to gain extensive experience utilizing the rules of civil procedure.

Housing Law Team................................................................................. 2 positions (Akron / Canton)

Project: The Housing Law Team helps clients keep or obtain decent, affordable housing, and housing subsidies. The Team represents tenants and homeowners facing eviction, foreclosure as well as a host of other housing problems.

Summer Associate Role: The Summer Associate could assist with housing case work through interviewing clients, legal research, investigation and drafting letters and pleadings.  An Associate could expect to observe a municipal court or administrative hearing.  An associate with an intern certificate could expect to represent a client in a public housing authority administrative hearing.

Immigration Law........................................................................................... 1 position (Youngstown)

Project: Northeast Ohio Legal Services provides wide ranging representation in Immigration Law covering citizenship, permanent residency, work authorization, temporary stay visa, detentions, asylum, and humanitarian cases.

Summer Associate Role: The summer associate’s responsibilities will include some or all of the following: interviewing clients, legal research, drafting pleadings and attending hearings related to these immigration law cases. The summer associate may also have an opportunity to work on community educational materials and presentations for use in the community.

Municipal Court Project......................................................................................... 2 positions (Akron)

Project: The Municipal Court Project is a model project now operating in Akron Municipal Court.  The focus of the project is to provide unrepresented defendants in eviction and credit card suits with education about court process and potential defenses they may have.  The Project holds one clinic per week at the court.  The Summer Associate could expect to assist at the clinic, help develop or improve education materials, including the PowerPoint presentation and help design and implement an expansion to other counties. A new responsibility of the Project will be to assist clients in defending against inappropriate consumer claims by filing 10(d) motions to force plaintiffs to file an accounting with the complaint.

Summer Associate Role: The Summer Associate could expect to interview clients by telephone, draft/revise pro se pleadings, check court dockets, conduct legal research and draft legal memoranda. The Associate can also expect to gain extensive experience utilizing the rules of civil procedure.

Tax law................................................................................................................... 1 position (Akron)

Project: Tax Law Team: Akron. The volunteer will interview clients with the goal of completing financial statements to qualify clients for hardship status to avoid levies on bank accounts and wages.

Summer Associate Role: The volunteer will also be responsible for handling cancellation of debt issues associated with foreclosures or cancellation of credit card debt. To resolve the cancellation of debt tax issue, the volunteer will interview clients, gather documents required to prove insolvency and draft audit reconsideration letters to the IRS. Work on all issues will be in collaboration and under the supervision of the staff attorney handling low income tax issues. The volunteer could observe tax court hearings in Cleveland.

Volunteer Legal Service Program.......................................................................... 1 position (Akron)

Project: The Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) provides opportunities for private attorneys, law students, and other volunteers to serve low income persons by providing civil legal assistance. 

Summer Associate Role: The summer associate will work with VLSP to help develop a client’s factual case to refer to a private attorney, assist clients at outreach clinics, draft pleadings and assist with research projects for volunteers of the statewide Save the Dream program (foreclosure), assist volunteer attorneys with the Second Season of Service Program (similar to HelpLine), provide support services to volunteer attorneys (including pleading drafting and legal research), and help with program development.