Volunteer Lawyers for Justice’s Post

Reflecting on this week's news and our episode of Class Action with the remarkable students from Brooklyn Law School: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld ordinances in the Oregon city of Grants Pass that prohibit homeless individuals from using blankets, pillows, or cardboard boxes for protection while sleeping within city limits. The court ruled 6-3 that these ordinances do not violate the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. This decision has significant implications for homelessness policies nationwide. Other cities have passed similar bans on "camping" in recent years, and this ruling sets a precedent. . **Listen Up**: If you're a law student or just fascinated by legal drama, check out Episode 6 of "Class Action" where law students compete in trial about a similar case in California, and state how this ruling impacts homelessness policies across the country. #SupremeCourt #Homelessness #LegalPodcast #ConstitutionalLaw #BrooklynLaw #HarvardLaw #LawStudents #UCDavisLaw Kevin Huffman Eliana Sands Anjani Shah #KatiePhang https://lnkd.in/gZkSJNhh

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we want to highlight some ways that our projects make a difference! Tupelo Attorneys Sarah Phillips and Kristin Belvin have participated in multiple free legal clinics in the First Judicial District over the past year sponsored by the Mississippi Access to Justice. They attended the clinics held on February 13, 2023 in Lee County; April 5, 2023 in Itawamba County; September 18, 2023 in Lee County; and February 22, 2024 in Lee County. The Mississippi Access to Justice Commission seeks to improve access to justice in civil legal proceedings for the poor in Mississippi. More information about the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission can be found in the following link: Legal Resources | MSATJC #YWCares #VolunteerAppreciationMonth

Thanks, Cyan Blackwell, for speaking out on the critical issue of discretionary bindover in response to the Cleveland.com series “Delinquent: Our System, Our Kids," brought to you by all of us in the Greater Cleveland Youth Justice Collaborative We urge judges to limit the use of discretionary bindover and allow our kids to learn from their mistakes and grow. Let's advocate for a justice system prioritizing rehabilitation and positive development for our youth. Watch the entire series here: https://bit.ly/4bwQX1M

Thanks to Garden Court Chambers & Kate Aubrey-Johnson for hosting and organising a great event, really inspiring and energising. Key takeaways for me were ✅How much we all love this work, and what a privilege it is to work with children and young people ✅How important it is not only to make sure children understand what professionals say but that professionals make sure they listen & understand what children say ✅To make sure we leave no stone unturned when it comes to representing children ✅For lawyers from different disciplines to work together more closely around children so they don't have to keep repeating themselves ✅To fight for a legal system that respects and is prepared to properly fund and train specialist child rights lawyers

We've compiled the most frequent legal terms & phrases used in FL family court from 2023 (there are 34). We then put them in simple terms, making it easier for the average parent to understand the legal jargon & lingo while navigating #childcustody & #coparenting in FL family court. Here are a few examples: Cross-Examination:  Questions asked of witnesses called by the opposing attorney. Subpoena:  A document served on a person ordering that person to appear in court to testify and/or designated documents. Under Advisement:  A period after the trial when the Judge considers the testimony, evidence, reviews notes and makes a final decision. See all 34 of the most frequently used legal terms & phrases in FL family court from 2023: https://lnkd.in/e9zUp3NU Greg Hill Jake Hornstein Denise Bartley Gary Vien Jill St Louis Pinellas County Schools Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Hillsborough County Hillsborough County Public Schools Tampa Bay Chamber TAMPA HOUSING AUTHORITY Bay Area Manufacturers Association (BAMA) After-School All-Stars Tampa Bay City of Clearwater AMPLIFY Clearwater St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce City of St. Petersburg Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Florida Juvenile Justice Assoc Berny Jacques Abe Brown Ministries, Inc. Pasco County Schools Pasco County Government Florida Chamber of Commerce Florida Blue Suncoast Credit Union St. Petersburg College Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties, Inc. Dr. Casey Sowers, DBA CSX Moss & Associates (Construction) Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC Dr. Vince Hafeli, D.B.A. University of South Florida Muma College of Business Nonprofit Leadership Center Florida Women's Affordable Housing Network Valley Bank Suncoast Center, Inc. Dotti Overton Rocio Smith

The utilization of experienced paraprofessionals as a solution to North Carolina’s access to justice issue can help the legal industry expand its market reach, narrow its access to justice gap, and protect consumers from harm. In 2021, 71% of North Carolina low-income families experienced at least one civil legal need issue. 86% of those needs went unmet. NC Equal Access to Justice Comm’n & NC Equal Justice Alliance, In the Pursuit of Justice: An Assessment of Civil Legal Needs in NC. According to the Center for Access to Justice North Carolina ranks 49th in the nation in public access to attorneys for civil legal needs. It’s time to change the status quo for the greater good of the people in this state and this country. #justiceforall North Carolina Justice for All Project (www.ncjfap.org) Alicia Mitchell-Mercer S. M. Kernodle-Hodges Morag Black Polaski, ACP, NCCP Rachel Royal, CP, NCCP #paralegalservices #paralegalswithapurpose #firstamendment #utilizationofparalegals

Last night I completed my summer semester at Western New England University School of Law This semester I had the opportunity to take Trial Methods with Judge Goldstein. It was an incredible experience and allowed me the opportunity to improve my public speaking and advocacy skills. Judge Goldstein brought his own personal experience and humor to the classroom. It was refreshing to learn by actually doing and not just reading cases from a casebook. Now onto a well needed 6 week break and then 3L! #lawschool #lawstudent #criminallaw #victimadvocacy

From ending school segregation to addressing pay inequality and making public spaces more accessible, class action lawsuits have been a powerful tool for improving civil rights. But these cases also present unique challenges for noticing and distribution. Download our free white paper to learn more about these challenges and discover solutions for reaching hard-to-find class members. Read more now. #ClassAction #Lawsuit #CivilRights

Our Strengthening Civil Society (Law & Social Change) has TWO new reports out: The first by Profs Lisa Vanhala and Jacqui Kinghan updates a 2016 report and looks at how the use of all kinds of legal action by civil society orgs has evolved over the last few years, particularly looking at partnership-working between legal organisations and community partners. https://lnkd.in/etx68iUp The second by Adam Elliott-Cooper and Dr Kojo Koram examines the use of legal action by campaigners for racial justice in the criminal justice system over the last 40 years from challenging the 'sus laws' in the 1970s to more recent deaths in custody and Black Lives Matter. https://lnkd.in/e2W9EsTW

According to Lost Instruction Time in California Schools: The Disparate Harm from Post-Pandemic Punitive Suspensions (National Center for Youth Law & Civil Rights Project), San Francisco is one of eight counties with the highest rate of lost instruction for African American students, up 3.9% from pre-pandemic years. Foster and homeless youth also have the highest rates of lost instruction, which can cause negative repercussions. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gYCXTUuA