Pro Bono

Veterans Helped by Law Students in Traveling Winnebago Law Office

Law students at the University of Detroit Mercy law school aren’t waiting for low-income veterans to come to them with their legal troubles. Instead the students are traveling the country in a donated Winnebago to meet with the veterans and help them obtain disability and pension benefits, the National Law…

Jun 16, 2009 2:58 PM CDT

Would-Be Public Interest Lawyers See Deferred Associates as Competitors

Some would-be public interest lawyers are worried that deferred associates are taking positions that could have been theirs. Some large law firms are paying new associates stipends ranging from $60,000 to $85,000 to spend a year working for public interest organizations—a pay cut for a new associate but more than…

Jun 2, 2009 3:13 PM CDT

Pay Cut for Public Service

These associates see great gain in the trade-off

Jun 2, 2009 2:10 AM CDT

Debt-Free J.D. Degree from NYU is Funded By Texas Law Firm

Thanks to a Texas law firm, two new graduates of New York University School of Law getting ready to start public interest jobs don’t have to worry about dealing with a crushing educational debt load. The 45-attorney Bickel & Brewer litigation boutique in Dallas paid for Thomas Fritzsche and classmate…

May 29, 2009 8:17 PM CDT

Different Ways to Make a Difference

Lawyers can aid access to justice through pro bono, advocacy and financial support

May 2, 2009 4:00 AM CDT

O’Melveny Associate & UCLA Student Win 9th Circuit Immigration Appeal

Finding that a legal United States resident who served four years in the Navy had exhausted her administrative remedies, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has derailed a government effort to deport her over a California criminal conviction. The appellate ruling (PDF) in favor for Maria Gemma…

Apr 29, 2009 9:28 PM CDT

Jenner Associate Wins Supreme Court Pro Bono Victory in Immigration Case

Updated: A court of appeals retains its traditional authority to grant stays in deportation cases, despite a 1996 statute that limited the circumstances in which courts may block the removal of aliens, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 7-2 opinion. The decision is a victory for Jenner &…

Apr 22, 2009 3:29 PM CDT

Northwestern Allows Unemployed Law Grads to Defer Loan Payments

Northwestern Law School has announced that graduates with deferred law-firm start dates don’t have to make school loan payments until they begin work. Laid-off alumni may also be able to participate in the loan forbearance program, announced in an e-mail to students by law dean David Van Zandt, the Chicago…

Apr 14, 2009 6:21 PM CDT

BigLaw’s Deferred Associates Stretching Legal Aid Groups a Bit

Leaders of nonprofit legal organizations say that while they are grateful law firms are sending deferred associates their way and signing their paychecks, the onslaught of extra bodies is still causing a logistic and financial strain, the Am Law Daily reported. (Which is perhaps why many out-of-work lawyers seeking such…

Apr 6, 2009 4:25 PM CDT

Mayer Brown Lays Off 45 Lawyers, 90 Staff

Citing the prolonged economic downturn and a global review of its operations, Mayer Brown announced today that its reducing its ranks by 45 lawyers and 90 administrative staff. Outgoing chairman James D. Holzhauer issued a statement (PDF) saying the firm had hoped to avoid more job losses by reducing operating…

Apr 2, 2009 4:17 PM CDT

Stroock Lawyers Win Legal Business Award Without Billing a Cent

Kevin J. Curnin didn’t charge a single billable hour last year. And, his clients, mostly nonprofit organizations in New York’s South Bronx, won’t pay the Stroock & Stroock & Lavan partner a penny this year, either. Curnin is the full-time Director of Stroock’s Public Service Project, which will receive the…

Apr 1, 2009 7:57 PM CDT

Domestic Abuse Victims in Mass. Get Proskauer Rose Lawyers

Domestic abuse victims who initially seek a court protective order not infrequently back away from the effort later on. But one major reason why is the lack of a level legal playing field, a district attorney in Massachusetts says. Already intimidated, the frequently female victim must appear in court, on…

Mar 20, 2009 5:12 PM CDT

Situations Wanted: Laid-Off Lawyers Seek Volunteer Work—and Get Rejected

Updated: Jeremy Dyme was a fourth-year associate who found himself out of a job when his New York law firm dissolved at the end of the year. Now he’s finding that even volunteer work in his targeted field is difficult to secure. Dyme is looking for a volunteer position in…

Mar 16, 2009 1:42 PM CDT

Business Booming for Lawyers Who Help Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

There’s one area of law practice that’s booming right now for attorneys in many areas of the country. With foreclosures at record levels, homeowners need help reaching a resolution with lenders. And while they may not be able to pay a lawyer much, if anything, many attorneys are either taking…

Mar 9, 2009 9:18 PM CDT

Economic Slide Dominates Midyear Meeting

ABA leaders urge lawyers to aid the distressed

Mar 2, 2009 2:40 AM CST