Public Interest Paths: Non-Partisan Legislative Counsel

For this month’s public interest career spotlight I spoke with Kelly Pfundheller, non-partisan counsel for the Washington State House Committee on Local Government. I met Kelly when she came to give a presentation to my class on the bill creation process. She had the kind of bubbly enthusiasm about her work that I usually identify with people trying to convince me that World of Warcraft builds valuable life skills, or that I should come to their Society of Creative Anachronism meeting and learn how to joust. “Oh my goodness,” I thought, “this woman is a democratic processes nerd. That’s awesome!”

Kelly graduated from the University of Washington in 2010 without a job, and with the looming specter of the recession making her realize that maybe she would have to look outside her initial field of interest in order to find a job. She ended up in her current position rather fortuitously through the suggestion of a mentor who thought she would be a good fit for policy work.

“It’s all about who you know. That doesn’t mean that you have to force those experiences or force those personal relationships but you should seek them out and develop them and take care of them, just like you would any other friendship.”

Congratulations to the 2012 Winners of Ms. JD's Summer Public Interest Scholarships!

Ms. JD is pleased to announce the winners of Ms. JD's 2012 Summer Public Interest Scholarships, Michelle Born and Judith A. Pond!

Selected from over fifty applicants nationwide, the recipients demonstrate extraordinary commitment to promoting women in the law through public service careers. Michelle and Judith will each receive a $250 prize to support their continued commitment to public interest work.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the award-winning essays of Michelle and Judith that answered the question: "What about law school presented an unexpected challenge? What have you done to successfully meet this challenge?" We'll also be featuring the outstanding essays of other Summer Public Interest Scholarship applicants.

Learn more about our winners below.

Public Interest Paths: Animal Law is Getting Hot

Inspired by the Animal Law CLE hosted this month by the University of Washington chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund that I belong to, I decided to spend this month focusing on the public service aspects of the emerging field of animal law.

How I Became Interested in Animal Welfare

How did I get interested in animal welfare? Probably the same way most people do - as a child. I’d always liked animals, in the way that little girls do. When I was small I would tell adults who indulgently asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” that I wanted to be a veterinarian. Like many children I grew up and realized that veterinary college involved a lot of science, which involved a lot of math, and took a really long time. So I went to law school instead.

Before this, as a young soldier in the army, I ended up stationed in North Carolina. I lived in a nice barracks building on a hill next to a large block building surrounded by a barbed wire fence. I asked my roommate what this place was, and she replied, “Oh, that’s the goat incinerator.”

This was not what I was expecting. I asked follow-up questions and learned that the Special Forces medic trainees used goats as training “patients.” They shot them, amputated them, treated their wounds, then euthanized them and incinerated them. They used to use dogs, which are easier to get one’s hands on and cheaper, but switched to goats instead.

The Family Violence Appellate Project: Founding a Nonprofit as a Law Student

Sonya is a 2L at UC Berkeley School of Law

I must begin with a shout out to Ms. JD. As a result of people reading my first blog post six weeks ago, I met a very inspiring survivor of domestic violence, heard from two attorneys interested in working on a pro bono case with FVAP, and received our first case referral. In case you doubted the reach and influence of Ms. JD and your own blog posts, doubt no more.

In the last six weeks the FVAP team has accomplished a tremendous amount. We have hosted two very successful board meetings, filed our 501(c)(3) papers with the IRS, created a website (www.fvaplaw.org), held our first brown bag lunch, launched a fundraising campaign, and organized a launch party!

This entire process is at once incredible and terrifying: incredible because I am working with an extremely talented and passionate team; terrifying because I do not want to fail our clients, my team, or myself.

I hope other law students read this blog, but my message applies to everyone: don’t be afraid to be afraid. Venture into the unknown and do so with the belief that you can achieve anything. You are a woman and a (soon-to-be) lawyer. That combination alone makes you invincible.

Best Friends at the Bar

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION TO A NON-PROFIT

POSTED ON OCTOBER 18, 2011

Public Interest Paths: Representing Kids As a CASA Lawyer

One of the things that led me to even think about a career in the law was my experience volunteering as a guardian ad litem. I found out about the position when reading the novel My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Feel like sobbing hysterically? Give it a read). In the book the main character, a child, was represented by a GAL lawyer in a legal action against her parents.

Years later, I was scrolling through volunteermatch.com one day and I found a posting for guardian ad litem volunteers needed at the local courthouse. I was about to leave the military, and needed something meaningful to fill my time before I began college. This seemed perfect.

What a Guardian ad litem Volunteer does

The Offbeat Path: Public Defender

 Welcome back to the third installment of The Offbeat Path! This month is particularly special to me, as our interviewee, Caitlin Gossett, is a friend from Notre Dame, which is where we both attended law school! I hope you’ll enjoy her story. Please feel free to contact me at carissa.mulder@gmail.com if you have questions, comments, or would like to discuss being profiled!

 Caitlin, in her own words:

 I am a native of Boston, Massachusetts.  I grew up in Mission Hill, a neighborhood in Boston.  I started undergrad at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. Xavier is a Catholic, historically Black University.  I finished my undergrad degree at Smith College.  I majored in Chemistry.  I went to law school at NDLS.

 Track and field was a big part of my life in high school and undergrad.  In undergrad I was on the track team at Smith.  I come from a very creative family.  My mother is an artist in addition to being a union organizer so I love making art.  I also decorate cakes for fun. 

Tomorrow is the DEADLINE to Apply for Summer Public Interest Law Scholarships!

Ms. JD is proud to announce its 2012 Summer Public Interest Scholarships.

Winners will receive a $250 prize to support their continued commitment to public interest work. Women law students entering their second or third year at an accredited U.S. law school and working the summer of 2012 at least 35 hours per week for a minimum of 6 weeks at a government agency or nonprofit organization are eligible to apply. Unpaid judicial externs also qualify. Applications are due no later than March 31, 2012. Recipients will be notified no later than April 10, 2012.

To apply, please send us the following application materials:

(1) Resume
(2) Anticipated Summer 2012 Employer (Name, City), Job Title, & Dates of Employment
(3) Expected Summer Funding from Other Sources
(4) Essay (should not exceed 1000 words) on the topic:

"What about law school presented an unexpected challenge? What have you done to successfully meet this challenge? Winning entries will be those that tackle a common law school situation and provide concrete advice."

Please email your application materials to khan@ms-jd.org by March 31, 2012.

The Offbeat Path - International Human Rights (Part 2)

Hello again!  Through an odd quirk, I wound up interviewing Leah Boyd, who also worked for IJM, the organization from last month, so I'll skip the general background information this time. Please shoot me an e-mail at carissa.mulder@gmail.com if you would like to be interviewed for the blog or have any questions you'd like me to ask. Cheers!

Leah's Background:

I grew up on a farm in Kansas, went to Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA and majored in Political Science.  After graduation, I took a year off and worked for my dad on our farm because I wanted a break from reading and writing before I went to law school.  I graduated from Washington & Lee University School of Law in Lexington, VA in 2005.  I’ve got two sisters and a brother – my older sister is currently teaching 1st grade in Kyrgyzstan and my younger sister is a vocal music teacher who is currently substitute teaching in Kansas.  My younger brother is developmentally disabled and lives at home with my parents.  I love to host brunches for my friends and I’m always looking for an excuse to bake for someone.  I also love to travel, and I’ve been to such diverse destinations as China, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka.  My next trip is to Antarctica.  I don’t have a home per se right now while I’m trying to figure out the next step – I’m splitting my time between Kansas and Dallas.  

The Family Violence Appellate Project: Founding a Nonprofit as a Law Student

Sonya is a 2L at UC Berkeley School of Law. 

Ladies, this blog is a call to arms. It is an appeal for help, advice, ideas, and support. And most importantly, it is evidence that we don’t have to wait to pass the bar to make a difference . . .

Across California, survivors of domestic violence are either losing custody of their children or are being forced into joint custody with their abuser. This has grave consequences, not only because it perpetuates the danger to themselves, but because at least half of all batterers who abuse their partners also abuse their children.

I know what you are thinking: why would a judge give custody to an abusive parent? It’s crazy, but it happens. Very often.

Many survivors in this situation, who may have had poor or no representation in the trial court, either do not know that they can appeal their cases or simply lack the financial resources to appeal. As a result there is little appellate precedent for trial courts to follow, and they are not rigorously enforcing key statutes designed to protect children from abusive parents.

Numerous nonprofits provide much-needed trial court representation to survivors of domestic violence but nothing is being done to help them at the appellate level. 

That’s where we come in.