CAPS

A recent entry on the always informative New York Public Personnel Law Blog highlights New York's Empire State Fellows Program. According to the website about this program, it's "designed to attract talented professionals with demonstrated leadership potential who want to refocus their careers on public service." There's a full FAQ on the state website, which explains that the fellowship is intended to "jump-start the policy-making careers of individuals who have demonstrated substantial accomplishments early in their professional careers." The deadline to apply for this year is 11:59 p.m. on April 12, 2013 so if you're interested -- or know someone who is -- check this out quickly!

As most public interest lawyers have heard by now, this week marks the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court's landmark decision guaranteeing counsel in felony cases. But has that holding lived up to its promise? The web is filled with thoughtful stories about the state of that constitutional right today, including this one from NBC's blog called "A 'nobody's' legacy: How a semi-literate ex-con changed the legal system" and this interesting piece from the Huffington Post called "Gideon v. Wainwright Anniversary Highlights Lingering Problems." The latter story quotes Senator Patrick Leahy from Vermont as saying that a half-century later, there are parts of the country where "it is better to be rich and guilty than poor and innocent." Senator Leahy said court-appointed lawyers often are underpaid and can be "inexperienced, inept, uninterested or worse." Cynical or true, what do you think?

Bonus Link - Click here if you're interested in hearing a recording of the oral argument before the Supreme Court.

Catherine Christian, esteemed Chair of CAPS, has brought to our attention the following announcement:

District Attorney and Indigent Legal Services Attorney Loan Forgiveness Program

District Attorney and Indigent Legal Services Attorney Loan Forgiveness Program (DALF) awards are being offered to retain experienced attorneys employed as District Attorneys, Assistant District Attorneys or Indigent Legal Services Attorneys throughout New York State.

Eligibility

An applicant must:

§ be a legal resident of New York State for at least one year,

§ be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen,

§ be an eligible attorney (1)

§ have eligible student loan expenses (2)

§ not be in default on a federally guaranteed student loan or a NYS student loan

§ not owe a service obligation under any other program other than the federal John R. Justice (JRJ) Student Loan Repayment Program

Definitions

(1) Eligible Attorney means an attorney who:

§ is continually licensed to practice law; and

§ is a full-time employee working a minimum of 35 hrs per week and has been employed full-time during the year of qualified service immediately preceding the date of application;

§ is employed as a District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney, or Indigent Legal Services Attorney in New York State for at least four (4) years and is within the Eligible Period ;

How to Apply

Complete and submit the District Attorney-Indigent Attorney Loan Forgiveness Payment Application

Be sure to print the Web supplement confirmation, sign the supplement and submit it along with the required documentation according to the instructions. The deadline for new applicants to file for the District Attorney and Indigent Legal Services Attorney Loan Forgiveness Program is May 15, 2013.

https://web1.hesc.org/questionnaire/page.hesc?questionnaireId=82&versionNumber=5

New Jersey may be the first state to prohibit a judge from publicly performing as a stand-up comedian - on or off the bench. The ABA Journal reports that a New Jersey court is considering whether a part-time judge in that state may spend his out-of-court time doing stand up comedy work. Does it really make sense to prohibit a judge from displaying a good sense of humor - at least off the bench?

We'll have more on the annual meeting events in a forthcoming post, but for now, be sure to check out the great press release put out by NYSBA about our 2013 Public Service Awardees.