Programs, Workshops, & Speakers
Archives and Media
Listed below are the Office of Public Service programs from previous semesters, arranged chronologically, many with digitally recorded audio. Current semester programs and speakers can be found on the current semester workshops page. (Please note: all audio files are for Michigan Law students only and are password protected. If you are an alumnus that would like access to these resources please contact OPS.)
Fellowship Series: Laying the Groundwork (1Ls) (audio file)
1Ls can't apply for public interest post-graduate fellowships but they can learn how to lay the groundwork for a successful application. What 1Ls experience during law school in terms of summer jobs, pro bono projects, journals and clinics are all taken into account when it comes down to weeding out fellowship applications. Lunch will be served.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship 101 (2Ls and 3Ls) (audio file)
This is an overview of the fellowship process designed to help 2Ls (and 3Ls who are doing clerkships) prepare for the upcoming fellowship "season." We will review the tools to use to identify fellowships, give you a timeline to follow, and discuss considerations and protocols involved in the application process.
Organization of Public Interest Students' Brown Bag Lunch Series
Have you been dying to get to know a professor whose class MLaw's priority registration never allowed you to take? Do you have questions for a public interest faculty member but just didn't know how to approach them? Now is the chance you have been waiting for! Join us for the first in a new series of round table lunches with public interest faculty sponsored by OPIS. These lunches will provide an intimate setting for a small group of students to chat informally with various faculty about their work, experiences, and area of law. Our first speaker, Professor Karima Bennoune, will discuss international human rights. Space is limited so, the first 15 people to RSVP to ivycheng@umich.edu will have a spot. Pizza included.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship Stories (audio file)
This installment of the Fellowship Seriesm brings Michigan Law School's recent recipients of post-graduate fellowships together to share their experiences. Two 3Ls and two recent graduates will discuss their insights into the application process, provide tips on how to improve your chances of obtaining a fellowship and describe the experiences during law school that helped them in the process.
Panel:
Malinda Ellwood '08 who received a Coffin Family Law Fellowship to represent low-income persons in family law cases with Pine Tree Legal Aid in Portland, Maine.
Jessica Berry '07 who received a Skadden Fellowship to represent high-risk adolescents in foster care in Massachusetts, focusing on developing permanency plans and advocating for education and mental health services. She will develop a model of representation that can be incorporated into state-wide trainings for child welfare attorneys and will be based out of the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts.
Melissa Cohen, '09, who received a Skadden Fellowship to work with Children's Rights in New York to ensure that children involved in abuse and neglect cases across the country are represented by effective counsel.
Stacy Braverman,'09, who received an Equal Justice Works Fellowship to work at Bread for the City Legal Clinic representing low-income residents of the District of Columbia in public benefits and rental housing matters before the District's Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), training legal and non-legal service providers to assist their clients in OAH matters, and advocating for procedural changes to simplify the OAH process.
No Stone Unturned: Broadening Your Job Search (audio file)
Looking for a summer internship? Leave no stone unturned in the search for your summer job. The offices of Career Services and Public Service present a discussion on broadening your job search. Student panelists will share their experiences finding summer positions in less traditional ways. OCS and OPS Attorney Advisors will share resources you might not have thought of. There will be a Q & A period - bring your private sector, government, public interest and judicial internship questions. Lunch provided by OCS and OPS.
Fellowship Series: Skadden Fellowship Foundation with Susan Butler Plum (audio file)
Susan Butler Plum, founder and director of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, will be here to talk about and answer questions regarding this prestigious post-graduate fellowship. Lunch will be served.
Fellowship Series: Equal Justice Works Fellowships Program (audio file) (EJW PowerPoint) (CCRAA PowerPoint)
A representative of Equal Justive Works will be here to discuss post-graduate fellowship opportunities. With 51 Fellows in the 2008 class, the Equal Justice Works Fellowships Program is one of the largest post-graduate legal fellowship programs in the U.S. Our speaker, Anneliese Gryta, an EJW AmeriCorps Attorney with Legal Aid of Western Ohio, will also talk about opportunities through the EJW AmeriCorps Attorney program and the latest information on the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. Lunch will be served.
Government Honors Programs (audio file)
2Ls and 3Ls planning on clerking immediately post-grad—join OPS to learn about Honors Attorney programs with the federal government. Mark Pletcher, '01, a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, National Criminal Enforcement Section, will discuss his career path and the Antitrust Division's Honors Attorney program. 3L Amy Cocuzza, recently named an Honors Attorney with National Labor Relations Board, will discuss her experience with the application and interview process. Ryan Parker, '06, was recently hired through the U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program, Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch. Ryan is finishing up two clerkships. Honors Attorney programs in general will also be discussed.
Do I Have to do OCI if I Really Want to do Public Interest or Government Work?
1Ls: the end of the school year brings the crush of anxiety for some students who aren't sure they want to do OCI but feel they have to do it. Come to Dominick’s, where you can talk to public interest and government-bound 2Ls and 3Ls who survived law school even though they didn't do OCI. OPS will provide appetizers.
Public Service Career Open House
Interested in government or public interest employment, but not sure what to do? Join OPS and your fellow public service students at the Public Service Career Open House on September 15 in the Lawyers Club Lounge. This event is designed primarily for 2Ls but 1Ls are welcome. 2Ls and 3Ls will be on hand to discuss their job search in small, informal groups, organized by practice area. A light lunch will be provided by OPS.
Inspiring Paths Series: Bernadette Sargeant ‘86 Bernadette Sargeant, '86, will speak about her 20+ year career path in Washington, DC. She has served as counsel in the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility and as counsel to the Ethics Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. She also served as an attorney with the Enforcement Division of the Office of Market Oversight and Investigations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Currently, Ms. Sargeant is a solo-practitioner in Washington, DC. Food and drinks will be provided. Co-Sponsored by the Office of Career Services.
Department of Homeland Security, Office of the General Counsel (audio file)
A representative of DHS' Office of the General Counsel will speak about Honors Program opportunities for post-grad employment and their paid Summer Law Intern Program for 1Ls and 2Ls. The application deadline for both programs is October 30. More information can be found on the OPS bulletin board outside of 217 Hutchins Hall or by e-mailing jmjulien@umich.edu. Lunch provided by OPS.
Inspiring Paths Series: Louise Moor LLM '04 and Paul McDonough '07
Louise Moor is Refugee and Migrants' Rights Officer with Amnesty International.
Paul McDonough is the
research officer responsible for legal matters at the European Council for Refugees and Exiles. Mr. McDonough's work at ECRE focuses on the development of the Common European Asylum System, specifically on the EU measures that regulate and seek to harmonize asylum law. In addition, he is responsible for supporting ECRE’s advocacy efforts regarding cross-cutting issues such as detention and the needs of particularly vulnerable asylum seekers.
Hear about how Ms. Moor and Mr. McDonough
got started in their careers, what experiences they undertook while in law school to prepare for their current work, and advice for law students who want to do refugee work. Lunch provided by OPS.
Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellows Lunch: A Discussion on Predatory Lending Practices and the Current Lending Crisis (audio file)
Jon Seward, former Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Fair Lending and Anti-Predatory Lending Initiatives at Fannie Mae, will talk about predatory lending practices and the current lending crisis. Mr. Seward is now an attorney at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s Housing Section. Mr. Seward will also discuss his career path, having held positions with DOJ and HUD related to fair housing practices. This event is co-sponsored by Real Estate Law Society and Black Law Students Alliance.
OPS/OCS 1L OrientationJoin the Office of Career Services and the Office of Public Service for an introduction to their staff and an overview of their services. Open to all 1L students.
Public Service 101 [Handout]1Ls please join Assistant Dean of Public Service
MaryAnn Sarosi and Pro Bono Manager and Attorney Advisor
Amy Sankaran for an introduction to the Office of Public Service. Topics of discussion include resources, networking, and funding for those interested in public interest or government work throughout and after law school. Bring your laptop to follow along on a tour of the OPS Web site and to bookmark important resources.
OPIS' November Public Service Job Panels
November 5 (audio file)November 11 (audio file)November 18 (audio file)November 25 (audio file)Each week in November the Organization of Public Interest Students hosts public service job panels with 2Ls and 3Ls discussing their summer job experiences with either public interest or government positions. These experienced students' tips and advice will help first year students navigate the 1L summer job hunt. A different practice area is represented each week. November 5 will include students who have worked in Criminal Law; November 11 is International Law; November 18 is Government/Judicial Internships; the final panel on November 25 is titled "Special Interests" and includes Education, Environmental, Gay Rights, Immigration, Legal Services, and Civil Rights & Civil Liberties.
International Public Interest Career Opportunities in Geneva and Elsewhere (audio file)
International human rights lawyer and adjunct clinical law professor
Claire Mahon will talk about international public interest career opportunities. Ms. Mahon is a Research Associate at the Graduate Institute of International and Developmnet Studies and Co-Coordinator of the Project on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. She also works as a consultant for NGOs, UN agencies, and academic institutions. Ms. Mahon has previously worked for Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, the International Service for Human Rights, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer for a top tier corporate law firm in Australia. Non-pizza lunch will be provided outside 120 HH by OPS.
A Discussion About Two Cases Involving Constitutional Rights and Prisoners (audio file)Professors
Bridget McCormack and
Paul Reingold will discuss their respective victories in federal cases upholding the constitutional rights of prisoners involving habeas corpus and the ex post facto clause. Professor Reingold’s talk “The Parolable Lifer Case: Why 500 - 1,000 Murderers, Armed Robbers, and Sex Offenders Should Be Released” will cover
Foster-Bey v. Rubitschun, a civil rights class action in which the federal district court just granted summary judgment to the plaintiff class, based on ex post facto violations by the Michigan Parole Board. Professor McCormack’s portion of the talk will cover
Vasquez v. Jones in which the 6th Circuit reversed the district court's denial of habeas corpus relief, finding that the state court violated the petitioner's confrontation right. Vasquez was convicted of murder in 1996 for an Ann Arbor shooting, primarily on the hearsay testimony of a witness whose criminal history was not permitted to be heard by the jury. The 6th Circuit ordered that he get a new trial. Lunch will be served.
Fellowship Series: Laying the Groundwork (1Ls) (audio file)
1Ls can't apply for public interest post-graduate fellowships but they can learn how to lay the groundwork for a successful application. What 1Ls experience during law school in terms of summer jobs, pro bono projects, journals and clinics are all taken into account when it comes down to weeding out fellowship applications. Lunch will be served.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship 101 (2Ls and 3Ls) (audio file)
This is an overview of the post-graduate fellowship process designed to help 2Ls (and 3Ls who are doing clerkships) prepare for the upcoming fellowship "season." We will review the tools used to identify fellowships, give you a timeline to follow and discuss considerations and protocol involved in the application process. 3Ls who went through the fellowship process beginning last Spring will describe their experiences and share tips.
Careers in Disability and Elder Law (audio file)
Judy Levy, Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellow and Mark Cody, Lecturer and Senior Attorney, Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service Inc.
Mooting of Mark Rosenbaum's Proposal 2 Oral Argument
Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellow Mark Rosenbaum will be mooted by a panel of UMLS professors in preparation for an upcoming oral argument involving Proposal 2. Professor Rosenbaum will be arguing on behalf of intervenor students and faculty that Proposal 2 (which abolished affirmative action in higher education in Michigan) should be held unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. A question and answer period will follow. This is a great opportunity to see how an experienced litigator hones his arguments before appearing in front of the court. Lunch will be served.
Inspiring Paths Series: Appellate Defense and Prosecution, Criminal Law Career Panel (audio file)
Joan Kripke, '86, Staff Attorney with the Illinois Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor and Christopher Evers, '00, Assistant Appellate Defender in the Office of the State Appellate Defender for Illinois will talk about their careers in appellate criminal law. Lunch will be served.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship Stories (2Ls and 3Ls) (audio file)
For this session, two 3Ls and 2 alumnae who were recently awarded post-graduate fellowships will share their insights into the application process, provide tips on how to improve your chances of obtaining a fellowship and describe the experiences during law school that helped them in the process. The fellows on the panel will also be available to individual students for 15 minute one-on-one discussions prior to and following the presentation. A sign up sheet is available outside 217 Hutchins Hall.
Panel:
Kate Pomper, 3L, will be working with the Business and Professional People for the Public Interest in Chicago, IL as a Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellow. Kate was also a finalist for the Skadden Fellowship.
Joshua Kay, 3L, will represent parents with disabilities in child protection cases in Detroit, focusing on protecting their rights to due process, appropriate family services, and nondiscriminatory treatment under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Joshua was recently awarded a Skadden Fellowship. The project sponsor is Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc.
Molly Kovel, '06, will offer employment law services to indigent people with criminal records. She will clear errors off their records, challenge illegal job discrimination, and help them secure stable employment to break the cycle of poverty and incarceration. She will be based at the Bronx Defenders, a criminal defense nonprofit that also provides clients with holistic legal services in a wide variety of civil matters. Molly was awarded a Skadden Fellowship.
Kyle Fisher, '07, will work with the Pennsylvania Health Law Project on a Skadden Fellowship to provide direct representation to low-income veterans experiencing difficulty accessing healthcare in the Veterans Hospital Administration.
Fellowship Series - Skadden Fellowship with Susan Butler Plum (audio file)
Susan Butler Plum, founder and director of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, will be here to talk about and answer questions regarding this prestigious post-graduate fellowship. Lunch will be served.
U.S. Department of Justice Presentation (audio file)
Hear about the many opportunities available in 2009 at the U.S Department of Justice through the Attorney General’s Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program. Our speaker, John A. DiCicco, joined the Tax Division through the Honors Program. The deadline for applications to the Attorney General’s Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program is September 2, 2008. Applications will be available on-line at www.usdoj.gov/oarm on July 25, 2008.
Fellowship Series: Other Post-graduate Fellowships (audio file)
Meet with representatives of post-grad fellowships to learn about their programs. Heather Jarvis will represent Equal Justice Works. Miriam Aukerman, director of the Reentry Law Project at Legal Aid of Western Michigan will discuss the Soros Criminal Justice Fellowship. Lunch will be served.
College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 Explained (audio file)
Heather Jarvis, Senior Program Manager with Equal Justice Works, will discuss this new legislation and the impact it will have on public interest legal employment. Two key components of the Act, Income Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, will enable many more graduates to pursue public interest jobs without regard for debt. As the Act is fleshed out by new regulations, EJW offers up to date information and resources on their Web site. (Sponsored by OPIS and NLG.)
Do I Have to do OCI if I Really Want to do Public Interest or Government Work?
1Ls - the end of the school year brings the crush of anxiety for some students who aren't sure they want to do OCI but feel they have to do it. Come to Dominick’s where you can talk to public interest and government-bound 2Ls and 3Ls who survived law school even though they didn't do OCI. OPS will provide appetizers.
Inspiring Paths Series: Defending the Constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act (audio file)
Join MLS 2004 grad Dan Zibel (WilmerHale representing the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches and the Austin Branch of the NAACP) as he talks about MUD v. Gonzales and his role in the case. The plaintiff's are challenging the constitutionality of Section 5 of the VRA. Civil rights organizations defending Latino voters in Texas who joined as private defendants filed a brief seeking a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that Congress has the constitutional authority needed to reauthorize Section 5 of the VRA. Oral arguments are scheduled for September 17, 2007. WilmerHale is sponsoring lunch for this discussion.
Inspiring Paths Series: Doug Letter, Senior Attorney DOJ (audio file)
Mr. Letter is the Appellate Litigation Counsel in the Civil Division at the Department of Justice, and was also appointed in March 2002, as the Terrorism Litigation Counsel. In this latter role he has responsibility for most of the terrorism-related litigation the government is involved in, including the Guantanamo cases. Mr. Letter will be speaking about his career path, the kinds of skills he uses in his practice and tips for students interested in pursuing similar careers. Lunch will be served.
International Public Service Careers Talk: Claire Mahon, Coordinator, Michigan Geneva Externship Program & Consultant, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (audio file)
Informational meeting about International Public Service careers and semester study at The Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI). Sponsored by The Center for International & Comparative Law.
Public Interest/Public Service Fellows Brown Bag Lunch: Robert Schwemm, University of Kentucky College of Law (audio file)
The Fair Housing Act is turning 40. Come hear Professor Schwemm speak on hot topics in Fair Housing law and litigation. Robert Schwemm is the Ashland Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky College of Law, the author of Housing Discrimination: Law and Litigation and has appeared before the Supreme Court of the United States, most recently as lead counsel for respondents in the case of Meyer v. Holley, 537 U.S. 280 (2003).
OPS/OCS 1L Orientation
Join the Office of Career Services and the Office of Public Service for an introduction to their staff and overview of their services. Open to all 1L students.
Public Service 101 (audio file)
1Ls please join Assistant Dean of Public Service MaryAnn Sarosi for an introduction to the Office of Public Service and the MLS public interest community. Dean Sarosi will discuss resources, networking and funding for those interested in pursuing public interest or government positions during their law school career and beyond.
Immigrant Rights in the Labor Movement (audio file)
Shirley Lung, Professor, City University of New York, formerly the Executive Director of the Center for Immigrants' Rights
Public Service Student Job Panel
Immigration/International Jobs
Each Tuesday in November a panel of 2Ls and 3Ls will speak on their summer job experiences with either public interest or government positions. These experienced students' tips and advice will help first year students navigate the 1L summer job hunt. Co-Sponsored by OPS and OPIS.
Public Service Student Job Panel
Civil Rights Jobs
Each Tuesday in November a panel of 2Ls and 3Ls will speak on their summer job experiences with either public interest or government positions. These experienced students' tips and advice will help first year students navigate the 1L summer job hunt. Co-Sponsored by OPS and OPIS.
Inspiring Paths Series: Steven Rosenbaum, '78, Section Chief of Housing and Civil Enforcement, DOJ Civil Rights Division (audio file)
Come hear Steven Rosenbaum, '78, talk about his career as a government civil rights litigator. He will also discuss internship/externship/honors program opportunities at the Civil Rights Division. He is currently Section Chief of Housing and Civil Enforcement, DOJ Civil Rights Division. He has previously served as Chief of the Voting Section and the Special Litigation Section and has worked in the Appellate Section and what is now called the Employment Litigation Section. Food and drinks provided.
Careers in Public International Law and National Security Talk: John B. Bellinger, III, Legal Adviser for the U.S. Department of State (audio file)
Mr. Bellinger, Legal Adviser for the U.S. State Department will speak about his career and career opportunities in public international law and national security. Food and drinks provided.
Public Service Student Job Panel
Legal Services Jobs
Each Tuesday in November a panel of 2Ls and 3Ls will speak on their summer job experiences with either public interest or government positions. These experienced students' tips and advice will help first year students navigate the 1L summer job hunt. Co-Sponsored by OPS and OPIS.
Public Service Student Job Panel
Criminal Law and Government Jobs
Each Tuesday in November a panel of 2Ls and 3Ls will speak on their summer job experiences with either public interest or government positions. These experienced students' tips and advice will help first year students navigate the 1L summer job hunt. Co-Sponsored by OPS and OPIS.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship 101 (audio file)
This is an overview of the fellowship process and is designed to help 2Ls (and 3Ls who are doing clerkships) prepare for the upcoming fellowship "season". We will review the tools to use to identify fellowships, give you a timeline to follow and discuss considerations and protocols involved in the application process.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship Stories (audio file)
For this session, 5 third year law students who just completed the fellowship process will share their insights into the application process, provide tips on how to improve your chances of obtaining a fellowship and describe the experiences during law school that helped them in the process. Students can also sign up individually with the fellows for 15-minute sessions immediately following this workshop. Sign up sheets are posted on the OPS bulletin board. First come/first serve. The fellows are Cindy Dyar, Fiza Quraishi, Taryn Wilgus Null, Monica Vela, Lacy Carra, and Jennifer Hill.
Fellowship Series: Laying the Groundwork (audio file)
1Ls can't yet apply for public interest post-graduate fellowships but they can learn how to lay the groundwork for a successful application. What 1Ls experience during law school in terms of summer jobs, pro bono projects, journals and clinics are all taken into account when it comes down to weeding out fellowship applications.
Course Advising Series: Public Interest and Government Practice (audio file)
Panelists MaryAnn Sarosi, Assistant Dean for Public Service, and Clinical Professors Nick Rine and Vivek Sankaran talk about public interest and government oriented class choices for the Fall 2007 semester.
Fellowship Series: Learn More about the Skadden Fellowship with Susan Butler Plum (audio file)
Susan Butler Plum is the founding director of the Skadden Fellowship Program having started it in 1989. We've invited her to talk to you about the fellowship, the application process and to listen to your questions about the program. Come prepared to ask questions. You may want to look at the Skadden Fellowship booklet in room 210 HH before you attend this session.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship Panel (audio file)
Meet with representatives of various post-grad fellowships to learn about their fellowships, receive tips on applying and ask questions.
Coffee Hour with Julia Ernst, '94
Co-Sponsored by WLSA
Join OPS and WLSA for a coffee hour with Julia Ernst, Executive Director of the Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program at the Georgetown University Law Center. Julia will discuss her career and take questions related to Women/Gender Law and Reproductive Health Law.
Coffee Chat with Jake Werksman, '90
Co-Sponsored by Environmental Law Society
Join the Environmental Law Society for a morning coffee chat with prominent international environmental lawyer Jake Werksman, a Michigan Law alum who is currently a Program Director for the Governance and Access Program at the World Resources Institute. Come with questions about how to build a career in international environmental law.
Inspiring Paths Series: Benny Widyono, Former UN Special Adviser (audio file)
Please join the OPS in welcoming Benny Widyono, Former Special Adviser to the UN Ambassador of Indonesia and Cambodia. Anyone entertaining the possibility of a career in international economic development or international diplomacy will get a lot of useful insight into those worlds.
Dress for Success (handout and links [pdf])
Co-Sponsored by WLSA, BLS, and BLSA
Join us to discuss everything you've wanted to know about professional etiquette and attire for female attorneys. Be prepared for your summer job and interviews. Speakers MaryAnn Sarosi, Assistant Dean for Public Service and Marla Carew, '00, Associate, Honigman, Miller, Schwarz, and Cohn.
Do I Have to do OCI if I Really Want to do Public Interest or Government Work?
The end of the school year brings the crush of anxiety for some students who aren't sure they want to do OCI but feel they have to do it. Come to Dominicks where you can talk to public interest and government-bound 2Ls and 3Ls who survived law school even though they didn't do OCI.
Public Service Career Open House
Interested in government or public interest employment, but not sure what to do? Join OPS and your fellow public service students at the Public Service Career Open House. This event is designed primarily for 2Ls but 1Ls are welcome. 2L and 3Ls will be on hand to discuss their job search in small, informal groups, organized by practice area. This event is co-sponsored by OPIS.
Public Service - Public Interest Reception
Please join the Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellows for a reception in the Lawyers Club Lounge. Michigan Law School has recruited some of the most seasoned practitioners in their fields to cultivate students' interest in government and public interest through our Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellows. All students are invited.
Inspiring Paths Series: Scott Garland '95, Senior Counsel, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the United States Department of Justice (audio file)
Please join OPS as we welcome Scott Garland '95, Senior Counsel, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the United States Department of Justice. Scott will discuss his position working on cyber law issues and the path which led to his current job. He will also remind students to apply for the DOJ Honors Program -- the deadline being September 18th.
Inspiring Paths Series: Michael Posner, Executive Director, Human Rights First (audio file)
Please join the OPS in welcoming Michael Posner, President, of Human Rights First (HRF). HRF is a leading human rights advocacy organization which works in the United States and abroad to create a secure and humane world, advancing justice, human dignity, and respect for the rule of law. Mr. Posner will discuss the work of HRF, his career paths and ways in which Michigan Law students can work with HRF on cases. This event is co-sponsored by OPIS and SNARL.
Inspiring Paths Series: Michael Foreman, Deputy Director of Legal Programs and Director of the Employment Discrimination Project of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Washington DC (audio file)
Michael Foreman, Deputy Director of Legal Programs and Director of the Employment Discrimination Project of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LC) in Washington, DC will speak about cases being currently undertaken by the LC and opportunities to work with them through a new arrangement between the Law School and the LC.
Inspiring Paths Series: Patty Skuster '04, MPP JD, Policy Associate, IPAS, International Women's Rights and Reproductive Rights Issues (audio file)
Please join the Office of Public Service as we welcome, Patty Skuster '04, MPP, JD. Patty is a Policy Associate with Ipas, where she works on U.S., international and global policy advocacy (with a focus on Africa). Ipas is an international non-profit organization that works to increase women's ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights and to reduce deaths and injuries of women from unsafe abortion. Prior to coming to Ipas, Patty worked in the office of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, where she was a Women's Research and Education Institute Congressional Fellow focused on reproductive rights and judicial nominations.
Inspiring Paths Series: Alex Joel, '87, Civil Liberties Protection Officer of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Washington DC (audio file)
Alex Joel, Civil Liberties Protection Officer of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will speak about his current responsibilities, reporting directly to John Negroponte, the Director of National Intelligence, as well as his career path.
AIRE Centre (audio file)
Please join Nuala Mole, Founder & Director of the AIRE Centre ("Advice on Individual Rights in Europe") for a lunch time brown bag. Ms. Mole will be on-hand to discuss internships or externships with the AIRE Centre. 12:20 PM in #116 HH.
First-Year Orientation to OCS and OPS
The Office of Career Services and Public Service will discuss the 1L job search, including types of jobs to consider and resources to help in the search.
Public Service 101 (audio file)
1Ls interested in working with public interest or government agencies will learn about job resources, funding, and networking.
Inspiring Paths Series: The Path from Firm to Non-Profit (audio file)
With panelists Visiting Professor Dana Roach, '99, and Amy Harwell Sankaran, '01.
Organizing Migrant and Immigration Works Conference
Globalization, Immigrant Rights and the Law: Stories from the Front Lines (audio/video) (audio only)
(If you do not have real player, please install real player from the web, Real Player Install.)
Creative Ways to Minimize Law School Debt
Many public interest or government bound students go to sleep worrying about the cost of pursuing their dream job. This talk will focus on creative ways to minimize your debt while you're in law school so you can get a full night's sleep. No Sominex will be used in the production of this panel.
Fellowship Series: Fellowships 101 (audio file)
This is an overview of the fellowship process and is designed to help 2Ls (and 3Ls who are doing clerkships) prepare for the upcoming fellowship "season." We will review the tools to use to identify fellowships, give you a timeline to follow and discuss considerations and protocols involved in the application process. 3Ls who went through the fellowship process beginning last Spring will describe their experiences and share some of the do's and don'ts that they learned.
Fellowship Series: Fellowship Stories (audio file)
For this session, we've invited back three '05 grads who are currently doing public interest fellowships and an '05 grad who will be doing a Skadden fellowship beginning in September 2006. They will share their insights into their application process, tips on how to improve your chances of obtaining a fellowship and their experiences during law school helped them land a fellowship. Students can also sign up individually with the fellows for 15-minute sessions immediately following this workshop. Sign up sheets are posed on the OPS bulletin board. First come/first serve. The fellows are:
Marisa Bono, '05 - Ms. Bono is currently clerking for the Honorable Jerry Buchmeyer of the Northern District of Texas. She was awarded a 2006 Skadden Public Interest Fellowship with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) to provide legal services for Latino domestic violence survivors in Texas. While in law school, she was Managing Editor of the Michigan Law Review, Chair of the Latino Law Students Association (LLSA), and a student attorney for the Child Advocacy Law Clinic (CALC).
Julianna Lee, '05 - Ms. Lee is a two-year fellow with the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama where she works on a wide range of Center projects including hate crimes, civil litigation and death penalty research. The main focus of Ms. Lee's work, however, is on juvenile justice and issues of mental health treatment for incarcerated youth. As a law student, she was involved with the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, the Michigan Journal of International Law and the Affordable Housing Clinic.
Amy Myers, '05 - Ms. Myers is in her first year of a Skadden Public Interest Fellowship at Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE), a nonprofit organization that provides legal, counseling, financial, and other support services to low-income survivors of domestic violence. While at Michigan Law, she volunteered for three years as a student attorney with the Family Law Project and served as Publication Manager of the Michigan Journal of Gender and Law.
Monica Saxena, '05 - Ms. Saxena is an Equal Justice Works Fellow with the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law in Washington D.C. Her work focuses on voter registration and ballot access for ethnic and racial minorities with limited English language skills.
The Making of Environmental Law
A multi-media presentation on the history and future of U.S. environmental law and policy by Georgetown University Law Professor Richard Lazarus. Professor Lazarus is the Faculty Director of the Supreme Court Institute at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Torts, and Supreme Court Advocacy. He is the author of the 2005 book, "The Making of Environmental Law." Organized by Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellow Mark Van Putten.
Fellowship Series: Learn More about the Skadden Fellowship with Susan Butler Plum (audio file)
Susan Butler Plum is the founding director of the Skadden Fellowship Program having started it in 1989. We've invited her to talk to you about the fellowship, the application process and to listen to your questions about the program. Come prepared to ask questions. You may want to look at the Skadden Fellowship booklet in room 210 HH before you attend this session.
Bi-Monthly Meeting of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission will discuss the affirmative action referendum on the November ballot. Organized by Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellow Judith Levy.
Fellowship Series: Laying the Groundwork for Fellowships (audio file)
1Ls can't apply for public interest post-graduate fellowships but they can learn how to lay the groundwork for a successful application. What 1Ls experience during law school in terms of summer jobs, pro bono projects, journals and clinics are all taken into account when it comes down to weeding out fellowship applications.
Inspiring Paths Series: The Path to Immigration Law (audio file)
Sarah Sohn, '04, New Voices Legal Fellow at Immigration Equality
Megan Mack, '99, Associate Director of the ABA Commission on Immigration
Fellowship Series: Other Fellowship Programs (audio file)
Meet with representatives of various post-grad fellowships to learn about their programs.
Do I Have to do OCI if I Really Want to do Public Interest or Government Work?
The end of the school year brings the crush of anxiety for some students who aren't sure they want to do OCI but feel they have to do it. Come to Dominicks where you can talk to public interest and government-bound 2Ls and 3Ls who survived law school even though they didn't do OCI.
Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellows Wine & Cheese Reception: 5:30 PM in the Lawyers Club Lounge.
Public Interest/Public Service Faculty Fellow Bo Cooper will discuss immigration rights. Sponsored by the American Constitution Society of Law and Policy.
National Pride at Work v. Granholm (domestic partner benefits case): Professor Roderick Hills and attorney Deborah LaBelle, lead attorney, ACLU.
Inspiring Paths Series: After the Flood: Justice in Louisiana in the Wake of Katrina
G. Ben Cohen, '96, Capital Appeals Project , Louisiana
Hilary Taylor, '99, Public Defender, Jefferson & Orleans Parishes, Louisiana. Comments by Visiting Professor Stuart Greene and moderated by Professor Sam Gross.
First-Year Orientation to OCS and OPS
The Office of Career Services and Public Service will discuss the 1L job search, including types of jobs to consider and resources to help in the search.
Public Interest/Public Faculty Fellow Mark Rosenbaum will discuss the Cyrus Kar case. Sponsored by ACLU-UM Law School.
Public Service 101
1Ls interested in working in public interest or government will discuss discuss resources, funding, and networking.
Public Service Job Panel
2Ls and 3Ls will discuss their summer experiences working for public interest and government organizations in the practice areas of civil rights/civil liberties, social justice and criminal law.
Public Service Job Panel
Professor Steve Ratner will discuss working for international public interest and government organizations.
Inspiring Paths Series: Careers in International Development (audio file)
Angana Shah, '93, USAID, the International Judicial Relations Committee.
Public Service Job Panel
2Ls and 3Ls will discuss their summer experiences working for public interest and government organizations in the practice areas of family law, child advocacy and LGBT rights.
Faculty Moot Court
Professors Richard Friedman, and Roderick Hills will moot Public Interest/Public Faculty Fellow Mark Rosenbaum as he prepares for an upcoming oral argument before the 9th Circuit. Students are invited to attend and participate in the question answer session.
Public Service Job Panel
2Ls and 3Ls will discuss their summer experiences working for government organizations.
Inspiring Paths Series: Barbara Grewe, '85, Associate General Counsel, Government Accountability Office (audio file)
Ms. Grewe's talk centers on her time at GAO, as Senior Counsel for Special Projects on the 9/11 Commission, as Special Investigative Counsel for the Justice Department's Inspector General and as a United States Attorney.
U.S. Attorney Panel (Notes [pdf])
Notes from a panel with U.S. Attorneys Daniel Hurley, '90, Barbara L. McQuade, '91, and Jim Mitzelfeld, '96. Read about the panelists' experiences working for a U.S. Attorney's office.