Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Human Rights News & Events

WCL Events

1. RSVP Today! RADIO FOR JUSTICE: MAKING SENSE OF RULE OF LAW IN COMMUNITIES WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) IS INVESTIGATING
Wednesday, October 22, 12pm-1:30pm, Room 401
This event features Wanda Hall, Founder & Director, Interactive Radio for Justice and Outreach Adviser to the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court. Interactive Radio For Justice (IRfJ) broadcasts programs over community radio in regions where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating the most serious crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes) to promote dialogue between local populations and the national and international authorities responsible for rendering justice to them. IRfJ’s programming is broadcast in French, Swahili and Lingala throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, and provides a forum for listeners to ask questions about justice, reconciliation, and the rule of law. To RSVP or for more information, please contact: Nathalie Maréchal at the War Crimes Research Office, Washington College of Law, warcrimes@wcl.american.edu. Lunch will be provided!

2. COME BUY CUPCAKES FOR THE COAST! STUDENT ACTIVISTS FOR KATRINA/RITA SURVIVORS BAKE SALE
Wednesday, October 22, 9am-5pm, WCL Lobby
SAKS - Students Activists for KatrinaRita Survivors - will hold a bake sale to help raise funds for Gulf Coast organizations working to raise awareness about the ongoing human rights crisis on the Gulf Coast. The bake sale with also support WCL students planning to go to the Gulf Coast as part of Alternative Winter Break. At the last bakesale, we brought in $480. Thanks to everyone for making it such a huge success. We hope this week's bakesale will be just as successful with your help! If you are interested in helping with the bake sale, either by baking or sitting at the table, please email Eric Leveridge at emleveridge@gmail.com.

3. HUMAN RIGHTS HAPPY HOUR!
Wednesday, October 22, 5pm, 6th Floor JD Student Lounge
Join Action For Human Rights for Happy Hour. Action for Human Rights is a student organization that brings together students and faculty to promote awareness of domestic and international human rights issues and their legal implications. We provide a forum for discussion about different issues and encourage you to take action. Come meet people with similar interests and aspirations in human rights and learn more about our organization and how you can take action! Coffee and snacks will be served. If you have any questions, write us at ahr@wcl.american.edu. See you there!

4. JOIN THE IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS COALITION FOR ANTI-TRAIFFICKING TRAINING!
Wednesday, October 22nd, 5:45pm-6:30pm, Room 503
On behalf of the Immigrants Rights Coalition, please join us for an orientation and training to become a part of a new outreach effort on human trafficking in the D.C. area with Ayuda, Inc.  The IADB and Ricky Martin Foundation have funded a free and confidential anti-trafficking hotline, Llama y Vive (http://www.llamayvive.org/dc.htm), which will channel trafficking case referrals in the D.C. area to Ayuda, Inc.    Ayuda, a multi-lingual immigration legal services provider, is conducting outreach activities to raise awareness about the hotline in D.C., and will also use the opportunity for an informative campaign about trafficking.  WCL students can join the campaign by using pre-prepared outreach materials including a PowerPoint presentation to raise awareness about trafficking and the Llama Y Vive hotline in local ESL classes.    Please note that all WCL students are welcome to participate, and you do not have to be on the Labor and Trafficking committee of the Immigrants' Rights Coalition. Please contact morganalen@gmail.com to RSVP for the training this Wednesday and with any questions.  Spread the word!!!!!!!!

5. NINTH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM SERIES CONTINUES!
Wednesday, October 15 - Thursday, November 14, 6pm, Room 603 and Main Campus
Like to go to the movies? This fall, the Washington College of Law's Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, in conjunction with the American University's Center for Social Media, the Center for Global Peace, the Kay Spiritual Life Center, and School of International Service will sponsor the 9th Annual Human Rights Film Series. The film series explores ways in which film and media can be used to promote and protect human rights. This year's theme emphasizes human rights issues here in the United States, including a special event focused on the social and economic impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Gulf Coast. Films will be screened twice, first on Wednesday nights at the Washington College of Law and again on Thursday nights at the Wechsler Theatre on American University's Main Campus. All screenings are free and will feature post-screening discussions with award-winning filmmakers and human rights advocates. You may view a full schedule of the films at http://www.wcl.american.edu/humright/center/humanrights_festival08.cfm. For more information, please call WCL at 202-274-4180 or e-mail humlaw@wcl.american.edu or the Center for Social Media at 202-885-3107 or socialmedia@american.edu.

This Week :
THE BALLAD OF ESEQUIEL HERNANDEZ  (2007, 90 mins)
WCL: Wednesday, October 22, 6PM, Room 603; AU: Thursday,October 23, 5:30 PM, Wechsler Theatre
The story of Esequiel Hernandez, a young American man who was mistaken for a drug runner and killed by U.S. Marines on the Texas-Mexico border. 

Post-Screening Discussion: Jenny Johnson, Senior Associate at the Latin American Working Group (LAWG), and Stephanie Brewer, Legal Officer at Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center (PRODH) in Mexico City will lead a post-screening discussion (co-sponsored by LaLSA) on October 22 at WCL. Special visit with producer Brendan Fitzgerald on October 23. To visit the official website, click here. 

Next Week:
AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR (2008, 98 mins)
WCL: Wednesday, October 29, 6PM, Room 603; AU: Thursday, October 30, 5:30PM, Wechsler Theatre
A look at the death penalty in Texas through the eyes of Pastor Carroll Pickett, death house chaplain for 15 years at the infamous "Walls Unit" prison in Huntsville.  Special visit with filmmaker Peter Gilbert on October 30. To visit the official website, click here.

6. LEARN HOW TO FUND YOUR SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST WORK WITH AN EQUAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION GRANT!
Wednesday, October 22, 8pm, Room 601
Thursday, October 23, 12pm, Room 528
Interested in working in public interest over the summer? Don't think you can afford it?  Think again!!! Learn how you can apply for a grant for this summer to work for a public interest organization! Please attend one of the above two mandatory information sessions this week.  
** Attending one of the two sessions is a mandatory requirement to be eligible for the EJF grant, even if you attended a session last year.  If you cannot make either of the sessions, please contact me at jessica.millward@gmail.com

If you are interested in taking on a larger role in the Equal Justice Foundation, please consider becoming a board member! 
Executive Vice Chair - the Right Hand of the Executive Chair, help out with all aspects of planning, work and delegation for the Auction and other fundraising events.
Alumni Relations Chair(s) - work with the Office of Development & Alumni Relations to contact WCL alumni and former EJF grant recipients regarding donations and EJF Auction attendance.
Publicity Chair(s) - work with committees to publicize all EJF events.
Special Contributions Chair(s) - solicit "big ticket" and corporate donations via targeted mailings and follow-up phone calls.
Contact me at jessica.millward@gmail.com.

7. ROOTS & WINGS COFFEE TABLE- LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
Thursday, October 23, 9am-5pm, WCL Lobby
We brought in over $500 last week selling coffee.  That's almost an entire year's university scholarship for our students in Guatemala.  Thank you to those of you who volunteered last week! I am setting up a table again this Thursday to sell coffee for Roots & Wings Intl scholarships.  Please let me know if you would like to donate an hour of your time to help Guatemalan students raise themselves and their communities out of extreme poverty.   100% of the coffee sales go directly to our university scholarship program which offers scholarships to students whose families' earn less than $2 per day. (learn about our work at www.rootsandwingsintl.org).   The table will be set up from 9am to 5pm.  Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering and if so at what time.  You would just have to sit at the table and collect money.   Please email Erik Swanson, President, Roots & Wings Intl.at erikwswanson@yahoo.com.

8. 1L PUBLIC INTEREST ROUNDTABLE SERIES: CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES TO GUANTANAMO BAY
Tuesday, October 28, 12pm-1:20pm, Room TBD
1Ls are invited to join Professor Stephen Vladeck for lunch. Prof. Vladeck will discuss his work on Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, representation of Jose Padilla, and his experience challenging the constitutionality of "enemy combatant" status and the use of military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay. He will also share his thoughts on pursuing a career in public interest law and answer student questions. You must RSVP to wcl.1l.roundtables@gmail.com by Monday, October 27. Registration is limited. Food will be provided.

9. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PALESTINE CHALLENGES: THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM
Tuesday, October 28, 12pm, Room 528
Would you like to learn more about the challenges Palestinians face? Come listen to Palestinian LLM students speak about what Palestinians are experiencing. This is your opportunity to ask the questions that you've always wanted know more about. This is open to everyone. This lecture is part of a four-part series. Lunch will be provided. Please email majd_bader@yahoo.com with questions.

10. THE COOL HUMAN RIGHTS WORK I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION
Thursday, October 30, 12:00pm-1:20pm, Room 602
Your fellow law students will discuss their summer experiences and give advice on working both here in the United States and abroad on human rights issues. The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, the Office of Career and Professional Development, the Office of Public Interest, and the Women and International Law Program. If you have any questions, please contact Humlaw@wcl.american.edu.

Community Events

1. SCIENCE SERVING HUMAN RIGHTS: MAKING IT HAPPEN
Thursday, October 23, 3pm-5:30pm, AAAS Auditorium, 1200 New York Avenue, NW
In advance of the January 2009 launch of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition, SHRP, WSS, and CASPA invite you to the first event of the Coalition's "Service to the Human Rights Community" working group.The event will highlight the value of science and scientific expertise for human rights work by featuring three teams of scientists and human rights practitioners who have worked together on projects that yielded important outcomes and lessons. Join us for a conversation with a geographer, a forensic pathologist, a social scientist, and three human rights practitioners with whom they partnered. The teams will be interviewed about how they found each other, their experience of working together, their preconceptions, and what they accomplished together. This event is co-hosted by AAAS Science and Human Rights Program (SHRP), Washington Statistical Society (WSS) and Capital Area Social Psychological Association (CASPA). For more information, please contact shrp@aaas.org. To RSVP go to: http://shr.aaas.org/scisocs/events/Science_Serving_Human_Rights_Oct_23_2008.html.

2. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MARCH AND CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
Friday, October 24, 5:30pm, march: 16th St. and Columbia Rd. NW, vigil: 14th St. and Park Rd. NW
Immigrant Women also have a right to a world without violence! Come join Latino Agencies United for a march against domestic violence followed by a candlelight vigil. Latino Agencies United is composed of Planned Parenthood, Clinica del Pueblo, The Family Place, Madre Tierra, WEAVE, Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (OLA), Safe, Maribel Juarez, Acceso, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Mary’s Center, Concilio de Rappahannock Contra la Violencia Domestica (RCDV),Office of Councilmember Jim Graham Ward One, and DJ Sergio. For more information, please contact Karla Fuentes at: (202) 671-2825.

3. ARTS FORUM: TORTURE AND REPRESENTATION
Saturday, October 25, 2pm, AU Katzen Arts Center
Artist Daniel Heyman, AU Professor Julie Mertus, and attorney Katherine Gallagher will explore the issues of artistic and legal representations of victims of torture in a panel discussion moderated by Sarah Anderson. This event is sponsored by Foreign Policy In Focus and Provisions Library and is connected to an exhibit called "Close Encounters: Facing the Future," also at the Katzen Center, which runs through October 26.

• Daniel Heyman is a painter and printmaker from Philadelphia who has been capturing the images and words of Iraqi victims of torture from U.S. facilities like Abu Ghraib. In these works, now on display in “Close Encounters,” Heyman’s spare and expressive portraits are haloed by words from the victims’ own harrowing narratives. More of his work may be viewed at his website [http://www.danielheyman.com/].
• Julie Mertus is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the MA program in Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs at American University. Her work focuses on human rights, U.S. foreign policy, refugee and humanitarian law and policy, gender and conflict, and post-war transitions, with a specialty on the former Yugoslavia. Professor Mertus has nearly twenty years experience in the human rights field, as a field researcher, lawyer, advocate, political analyst and trainer.
• Katherine Gallagher is a Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), where she focuses on holding individuals, including US and foreign government officials, and corporations, including private military contractors, accountable for serious human rights violations. Prior to joining CCR, she worked at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia from 2001-2006.
• Moderator and IPS Global Economy Project Director Sarah Anderson has written numerous studies, articles and books on global corporations and the social and environmental impacts of trade and investment liberalization.

This event is free and open to the public. The "Close Encounters" exhibit is part of BrushFire, a national arts initiative organized by Provisions Library and focusing on social activist art in the run-up to the November elections. Please see http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/event_description.cfm?event=849 for more information. For questions, please email museum@american.edu.

4. DR. PETER PIOT ON PAST AND PRESENT CHALLENGES FOR GLOBAL HEALTH AND AIDS
Tuesday, October 28, 11am, 1800 K Street, NW, B1 Conference Center  
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) cordially invites you to hear Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, deliver an address on the achievements and challenges the world has faced in the past decade, during the period of his leadership at UNAIDS. He will also speak to current global challenges and their implications for the health status of persons living with HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable populations, as well as the implications for donor support of critical programs. Please RSVP to Eric Little at ELittle@csis.org.

Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities

1. HELP PEOPLE REGISTER TO VOTE! VOTER REGISTRATION VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT WCL AND IN THE COMMUNITY
There is a huge need for law students to get out and help protect the right to vote. You can get involved by either working in the field as a mobile legal volunteer and/or working as a hotline volunteer (the hotline is currently open and you can volunteer there weekdays from 9-5 pm and Saturday mornings; the hotline will also be open all day on Nov. 4).

Election Protection - Legal Field Deployment (VA and MD) and Voter Hotline (D.C.) - Now through Election Day - VA, MD, and Washington, D.C. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law ("Lawyers' Committee") and Election Protection seek volunteer attorneys, paralegals and law students for Election Protection - the nation's largest non-partisan voter protection program. Election Protection is a national coalition that works throughout the year to break down barriers to the ballot box for traditionally disenfranchised voters.
Mobile Legal Volunteers (Field Deployment): Individuals may serve as Mobile Legal Volunteers ("MLVs"). MLVs work in teams of two and monitor a zone of 4-10 polling places, respond to incidents reported through the hotline, and assist voters at the polling place. Potential problems include dissemination of misinformation by poll workers, problems associated with voting machines (including new electronic ones), and potential intimidation of voters. If you sign up as an MLV, it is highly recommended that you fill out an absentee ballot so you don't rush yourself when it's time for you to cast your ballot!
Voter Hotline: If you've changed your mind about volunteering in the field on election day, you can still get involved from now until election day with our voter hotline - see the website to sign up to volunteer with the hotline.

Mobile Legal Volunteers must attend in-person a 1.5 hour - 2 hour training session and are asked to sign up for a 4-5 hour shift on election day. Materials and details regarding your shift will be provided at the training, or shortly thereafter. Individuals will volunteer for both a shift and training directly online. Make sure that the training corresponds to the type of shift you've signed up for (eg: if you signed up to work a 5 hour shift in Montgomery County, MD, please make sure to attend the training for Montgomery County election protection volunteers). The trainings at WCL are as follows (please make sure you sign up for these on the website - the WCL VA trainings may not be up yet, but make sure to check back in a few days to sign up if it's not up):
Training for PG County/Montgomery County Volunteers (for any questions regarding volunteering in MD, contact Madhu: madhuri.s.singh@gmail.com) Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 7-9 PM, Room 503 at WCL
Trainings for Virginia Volunteers (for any questions regarding volunteering in VA, contact Martyna: mpospie@gmail.com and Galina: gxnech@wm.edu) Wednesday October 22, from 4:30 -6:00 PM, Room 401 at WCL; Thursday October 23 from 12:00 to 1:20, Room 101 at WCL

You are not required to attend the WCL trainings to volunteer - you may attend any volunteer training that works with your schedule (the list of other trainings are available on the website - see the links below) To first sign up as a volunteer, please fill out the information here (you will then be redirected to sign up for specific shifts and trainings): http://www.nationalcampaignforfairelections.org/page/s/vol08ep If you have already signed up to volunteer as an MLV or hotline volunteer, please sign-up directly for trainings and shifts,: http://www.nationalcampaignforfairelections.org/page/event/search_simple (Note: the list of opportunities is very long. Please make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the webpage to see a complete listing.) ***For volunteers with Asian language abilities, please visit http://www.aaldef.org/vote2008/ or contact Shiwali Patel for more details regarding WCL's involvement (shiwali.patel@gmail.com) For more information about Election Protection, please visit www.866ourvote.org. If you have any general questions, email Madhu Singh (madhuri.s.singh@gmail.com).

2. PROFESSOR MICHELLE PISTONE SEEKS DEAN'S FELLOW FOR RESEARCH ON IMMIGRATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Prof. Michele Pistone is seeking a dean’s fellow to help with research and scholarship on immigration, asylum, human rights. Apply by sending a letter of interest and resume to Professor Michele Pistone at mpistone@wcl.american.edu or stop by Room 428.

3. PROF. BRENDA SMITH AND THE NIC PROJECT ON ADDRESSING PRISON RAPE SEEKS DEAN'S FELLOWS
Dean’s Fellows will work 10-20 hours a week, and will provide research and assistance with projects on legal issues related to sexual abuse in correctional facilities and implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Excellent work ethic, and research and writing skills a must. Office hours required. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, transcript and writing sample to bvsmith@wcl.american.edu and jyarussi@wcl.american.edu.

4. THE CLINICAL PROGRAM (INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW CLINIC) SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION, CASE INVESTIGATION AND SIMULATIONS.
The International Human Rights Law Clinic and other clinics in the Clinical Program seek student volunteers who are fluent (nearly bilingual, not just “conversational”) in another language for interpretation and translation work on clinic cases.  There are also volunteer opportunities clinic-wide to work as simulation volunteers (play the role of “clients” or “witnesses” in simulations) or case investigators (examples of case investigation tasks may include gathering documents, attending witness interviews, and visiting places and institutions relevant to the issues in a particular case).  Please see Maribel Yamat in the Clinic in Room 417 or email her at myamat@wcl.american.edu to complete a volunteer form.  The student attorneys in the clinic will contact you after you submit your volunteer form as needed.  Pro bono pledge credit is available for each type of volunteer activity.

5. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR THE WOMEN’S LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The application deadline for WLPPFP, which is for lawyers from the United States, is Friday,October 31. Thank you very much for helping us reach out to outstanding lawyers from the United States and Africa who are committed to advancing women's human rights and social justice. Please see www.law.georgetown.edu/wlppfp for more information.

6. SUMMER LAW PROGRAM IN THE HAGUE
June 2009
Informational Session Date TBA
Now in its third year, the Summer Law Program in The Hague is a six-credit program offered in collaboration with the T.M.C. Asser Institute, one of the most prominent institutes of international law in Europe. The program offered two three-credit courses: International Criminal Law and International Legal Approaches to Terrorism. During the 2008 session, program participants received course lectures from nearly thirty practitioners and other experts, including judges, prosecutors and other staff from legal organizations located in The Hague. Participants also visited the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice and other institutions critical to the development and enforcement of these areas of international law. The 2009 program will be open to J.D. students who have completed one year of legal education, LL.M. students and graduates of ABA-accredited law schools. Stay tuned for information about applications and an in-depth information session, which will be offered this fall. In the meantime, past program information can be found on our website at www.wcl.american.edu/hague; interested students are encouraged to email hague@wcl.american.edu and request to be added to the listserv.

7. HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY AWARD! CALL FOR PAPERS
2009 Topic in English: 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: its contemporary normative impact
2009 Topic in Spanish: 60 anos de la Declaracion Americana de los Derechos y Deberes del Hombre: su impacto normativo actual
About the Award: This annual competition seeks to stimulate the production of scholarly work in international human rights law. Participants may choose any subject related to the assigned topic. The best articles may be published in the American University International Law Review. The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law grants two awards, one for the best article in English and one for the best article in Spanish. Each award consists of a scholarship to the 2009 Specialized Human Rights Program, travel expenses, housing at the university dorms, and a per diem for living expenses.*

Eligibility and Requirements

• Candidates must hold a law degree.
• Submissions must be unpublished legal papers in English or Spanish, written solely by the candidate.
• Articles must not exceed 35 pages, including footnotes, and must be double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font.
• Articles must be submitted via e-mail to hracademy@wcl.american.edu in Microsoft Word format.
• The deadline to submit articles is February 3, 2009, by 10 a.m. (EST).
• Winners will be announced April 1, 2009, on our Web site.
• A comprehensive list of rules is available at: www.wcl.american.edu/hracademy/hraward.cfm.

 

8. PARTICIPATE IN NEW PRO BONO INITIATIVE!
WCL’s clinics are currently featured on www.internationalprobono.com.  This new website, developed by the International Bar Association and its Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee, is intended to serve as a forum and resource for individuals and groups world-wide who are interested in pro bono legal work and broader matters of access to justice.  As its Welcome emphasizes, the site is designed to encourage submissions of material by and development of dialog among users.  Interested users can register on its Roster.  If you have any questions or comments, please contact Robin Westbrook (rwestbro@wcl.american.edu), Practitioner in Residence in the Janet Spragens Tax Clinic, who serves on the IBA’s Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee.

9. APPLY FOR THE 2009 HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES PROGRAM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The application for the 2009 session of the annual Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) at Columbia University is now available. HRAP is designed to prepare proven human rights leaders from the Global South and marginalized communities in the U.S. to participate in national and international policy debates on globalization by building their skills, knowledge, and contacts.  The Program features a four-month residency at Columbia University in New York City with a structured curriculum of advocacy, networking, skills-building, and academic coursework. Since 2004, HRAP has concentrated its support on individuals and organizations that address issues broadly related to globalization. The four-month intensive capacity building program based at Columbia University in New York focuses on the following key issue areas:

• Environmental injustice
  
• Labor rights violations
  
• Ramifications of resource extraction
  
• Public health crises
  
• Unsustainable development
  
• Intolerance, xenophobia, and social exclusion related to globalization
  

Special attention is given to the above issues and their intersection with gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and/or other sources of marginalization. Participants are selected on the basis of their previous work experience on human rights and globalization, commitment to the human rights field, and demonstrated ability to complete graduate-level studies.  Advocates must originate from and reside in either the Global South or the United States.  Fluency in English is required.  Advocates must secure institutional endorsement from their organizations for their participation in the Program and must commit to returning to that organization upon completion of the Program.  If accepted, they must also commit to participating in the program fully. This extremely competitive Program will admit approximately six participants.  We make every effort to provide full fellowships to cover program costs as well as travel and living expenses for selected Advocates each year. 

Completed applications are due by December 19, 2008.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.  The 2009 HRAP will take place from the middle of August to the middle of December 2009.  For further information or to download the application, please refer to our website at: http://hrap.hrcolumbia.org/. Please contact cshr@cuvmc.ais.columbia.edu for more information.

10. STAFF ATTORNEY POSITION AT THE CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER
The Children's Law Center (CLC) (Washington, DC) invites applications for a full-time Staff Attorney to represent children and caregivers in complex custody matters. The Staff Attorney will primarily act as a court-appointed guardian ad litem for children and teenagers in complex custody proceedings in D.C. Superior Court. S/he will also represent third-party caregivers in custody cases.  The Staff Attorney will report to the Family Permanency Project Supervising Attorney. The Staff Attorney will also work with the Family Permanency Project (FPP) Director to train and mentor pro bono attorneys who serve as pro bono guardians ad litem in custody cases.

Position Responsibilities include:

• Carry a full caseload, primarily serving as a guardian ad litem representing children's best interests in complex custody cases, but also representing adult caregivers in third party custody proceedings.
  
• Coordinate referrals from judges for pro bono guardians ad litem.
  
• Support pro bono attorneys through regular training sessions and mentoring.
  
• Staff CLC Helpline and perform telephone intakes.
  
• Participate in pro bono tabling events, fairs, and law firm outreach.
  
• Participate in outreach activities to community members.

Qualifications:  

• A demonstrated commitment to ensuring that at-risk children have safe homes, a meaningful education and a healthy mind and body;
  
• At least one year of litigation or clerkship experience;
  
• Ability to handle diverse caseload, serving as a guardian ad litem and as an adult caregiver's attorney in complex custody matters;
  
• DC Bar license or eligibility to waive into DC Bar;
  
• Experience working directly with low-income children or adults;
  
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills;
  
• Excellent research and analytical skills;
  
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently;
  
• Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively; and
  
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

Competitive salary structure and excellent benefits package. Applications should include a cover letter, current resume, legal writing sample, and three references (at least two of which must be from a superior) and should be submitted to:
FPP Staff Attorney Search Committee
The Children's Law Center
616 H Street, NW Suite 300
Washington, DC  20001
jobs@childrenslawcenter.org
For further questions, please contact Lise Adams, Director of the Family Permanency Project, at ladams@childrenslawcenter.org.

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