Touro Law News - Enhancing Social Justice Conference

Amidst the impact of the recession on the practice of law and controversy over the cost of legal education, a positive development is emerging-people who choose to attend law school are increasingly choosing careers committed to expanding access to affordable legal services for the mainstream groups that have not been adequately served. Law schools, Legal Aid programs and bar associations across the United States are assuming an increasing role in the development of post-graduate training and support programs for attorneys wishing to establish solo and small firms or not-for-profit organizations. Inherent in almost all programs is a focus on the training of lawyers who can eventually help to resolve the unmet legal needs of individuals from moderate to low-income communities.

 

This conference addresses the opportunities and challenges institutions face in the conceptualization, design and implementation of successful incubators and residency programs. It is co-sponsored by:

• Touro Law Center

• The American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services*

• California Western School of Law

• The Legal Aid Society of Orange County CA

• The Modest Means/Incubator Project Committee of the California Commission

on Access to Justice

• The Self-Represented Litigation Network (SRLN)

• DirectLaw, Inc.

• Clio

*pending approval from the ABA Board of Governors

 

In striving to create sustainable post-graduate programs, law school, Legal Aid and bar association administrators, in conjunction with faculty members, alumni relations directors, career service providers and local NGOs, are working together to create meaningful support programs for their graduates or members. The challenges lie in managing limited resources available for the programs and ultimately ensuring sustainability of the programs and the law practices created by the participants.

 

This conference will explore ways to overcome institutional obstacles to program development and implementation, promote collaboration among interested organizations, define costs involved in creating new programs, and highlight the best practices for successful post-graduate incubators and residency programs. It will use a range of formats: speaker presentations, round-table discussions and visits to programs in New York City metropolitan area.

 

There will be a two-day program beginning Thursday, April 3, 2014.

* Day 1: Speaker presentations will identify a wide-range of post-graduate programs that currently exist, explore ways to overcome institutional obstacles to new program development and highlight the opportunities and challenges that the speakers have encountered relating to program resources and long-term sustainability.

* Day 2: A round-table session designed to support the development of new programs at home and abroad through a frank discussion of challenges that lawyers enrolled in post-graduate programs face while in the program and upon completion of their stint. Also discussed will be methods for program evaluation and for the development of a model curriculum for incubators and residency programs. Lastly, a half-day visit to existing programs will be arranged for each participant.

*Conference program and schedule to be forthcoming.

 

The cost of the conference is $150 per registrant, which will cover lunches and dinners.

To register, please CLICK HERE.