Dean’s Message

Richardson Lynn

Dean’s Message:

I am pleased to announce Dean’s Awards to nine students who assisted with the Southern Public Defenders Training Center’s Autumn Soiree, an event featuring former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Norman Fletcher.  Professor Rapping, who also serves as the President of the SPDTC, tells me that the students presence and participation helped make this worthy cause a great success.  So, Dean’s Awards and the thanks of a grateful nation to:  Alexandria Clark, Andrew Powell, Campbell Williamson, Catherine DeRoth, Keosha Johnson, Frank Starosto, Laura Bilbrough, Marsha Terry, and Ashley Jones.

Let me remind you of the opportunity to join the Atlanta Bar Association and four sections (different practice areas) for FREE.  This is an exceptional opportunity to network with lawyers.  There is no excuse for not taking advantage of it.

Have a great week!

Dean Lynn

From the Office of Pro Bono Outreach and Externships

Spring Externship News

Please remember that students will no longer be able to register for externships online.  The new process requires that you complete a Student Action Request and have it signed by Professor Turner or her assistant, Ms. Ortega.  You must turn in your externship Secured Placement Form at the time you present your action request for signature.

Spring Externship Timetable

September 24, 2012                Pre-registration form and resumes deadline

October 8-26, 2012                 Interviews

November 5, 2012                  Offers due

November 19, 2012                Last day to register for spring

January 18, 2012                     Last day to Drop/Add for the spring

October is Pro Bono Month

Once again you’ve been challenged!  October is Pro Bono Month.  We want to exceed our target from last year.  The goal is 1,000 hours during the month of October.  Last year we were just shy of 600.   The Office of Pro Bono Outreach and Externships is challenging Atlanta’s John Marshall students, faculty, and staff to earn 1,000 hours of pro bono credit in October as part of Georgia’s Pro Bono Month and National Pro Bono Week.  Be on the look-out (JMTV, Flyers, student notices, newsletters, and the Office of Pro Bono Outreach & Externships webpage) for pro bono opportunities. You don’t have to look far for pro bono opportunities. There are several planned here at John Marshall.

  • Rights Restoration Project – Help criminal offenders transition back into society and help reduce recidivism. Meet with Ms. Ortega to help update the Home for Good  re-entry guide – a Q&A on how to find a job, get documentation, housing, etc. On October 20, we will also be hosting a Re-Entry Forum at the Blackburn Center. Contact Ms. Ortega at bortega@johnmarshall.edu for more details.
  • Home for Good Re-entry Forum – Participate in a forum designed to educate and help those re-entering from prison to integrate successfully back into their communities.  This year’s forum is October 20, 2012 from 4 p.m.- 8 p.m.  Contact Ms. Ortega at bortega@johnmarshall.edu for more details.
  • Georgia Bar Association Video Project – Get involved in a new partnership with the Georgia Bar Association. John Marshall has been asked to create videos for its legal reference guide. This is an ongoing project and can be done at your convenience. Contact Megan McClinton at smmcclinton@johnmarshall.edu for more information.

If you’re looking for more opportunities, go to the Pro Bono Outreach TWEN page. For more information on any of these projects or other pro bono opportunities, contact the PBOE Office at bortega@johnmarshall.edu.

Each week, we will update our progress on a thermometer in the first floor lobby.  Be sure to submit your pro bono hours to the PBOE Office using the form on TWEN, so your hours can be counted.  We want to recognize you, so report your pro bono hours to probono@johnmarshall.edu.  Your report should include number of hours worked, where they were earned, and the impact your service had on the community.

Save the Date:  Home for Good – Re-entry Forum

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School aims to prepare highly competent lawyers who are committed to the improvement of the legal system and society.    This year, we are pleased to partner with Formerly Incarcerated Persons- Effective Re-Entry Collaborative (F.I.P.-E.R.C) to present the Home for Good: Overcoming Legal Barriers for Re-Entry Forum on Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 4 p.m.- 8 p.m.  As a part of the forum, we have judiciously selected individuals, agencies and organizations that have supported the re-entry efforts by breaking down barriers, helping individuals and families’ transition, and advocate just treatment and transition that support preventing or reducing recidivism.

In addition to recognizing the individuals and organizations that are making great strides in the community, we will also facilitate an informative and interactive public discussion between academics, community, religious leaders, ex-offenders, government agencies, non-profit groups, and law students.  The forum will culminate with the development of an action plan that will make the criminal justice system less devastating for families and communities impacted by incarceration. We look forward to convening organizations and individuals in an effort to create new partnerships and resources for those in need of services.   Students please get involved.  This event is eligible for pro bono credit.

Your Vote Counts

Registration to vote in the Presidential Election ends on October 9, 2012!

To register, you must be:

18 years old

A citizen of the U.S.

A legal resident of your county

NOT held to be mentally incompetent by a judge

NOT serving a sentence for a felony/crime involving moral turpitude

Visit the Georgia Secretary of State website for more info!

Contact the Pro Bono Office if you have any questions or need voter registration form!

Georgia Election Protection

Currently seeking volunteers to participate in voter protection program!

  • Help ensure that all voters have a chance to participate in the election process!
  • Excellent networking opportunity with large Atlanta firms and Atlanta attorneys at the State Bar and Troutman Sanders!
  • Earn Pro Bono Hours while you protect voting rights!

For more information please contact Megan McClinton at smmcclinton@johnmarshall.edu or Lauren McAlpin at lrmcalpin@johnmarshall.edu.

From the Law Library

Student ID Information

For those student who have never received a student ID, we will be making them on Wednesday, October 2, 2012 & Thursday, October 3, 2012 from 8 a.m.- 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.- 6 p.m. at the entrance of the fourth floor of the library.

AJMLS Attends LL.M. Forum in New York, October 13

AJMLS will attend the LL.M. Law School Forum in New York on October 13. The forum, which is hosted by the Law School Admission Council, will give prospective LL.M. students the chance to speak personally with the LL.M. Program Director. AJMLS offers both residential and online LL.M. programs, for both U.S. and foreign-educated attorneys. The event will be held at the Hilton New York on the Avenue of the Americas from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free of charge. For more information, please visit the LSAC LL.M. forum event website.

AJMLS Students Contribute to Online Access to Justice in Georgia

Four students at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School have created educational videos covering several areas of the law for low-income Georgians.  The videos, all found online now at GeorgiaLegalAid.org, cover domestic violence, consumer law, Social Security and unemployment insurance law.

Greg Gelpi, a third-year law student at John Marshall coordinated the effort after meeting with the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project director, Mike Monahan. “Law students are looking for ways to learn and to contribute their time and talents.  Technology is such a part of our generation that we thought one good way to offer pro bono services as law students would be to help create web content to improve access to justice,” says Gelpi.

John Marshall students Sharee Malcolm, Heather Miller, Maria Keller and Jacqueline Givens developed legal education videos based on legal information brochures from Georgia Legal Services Program.  Videos entitled Breaking Free from Domestic Violence, What You Need to Know about Garnishments and Bankruptcies, Unemployment Insurance Benefits- Common Questions, and  Spanish and English versions of Overpayments and Collections- Social Security and SSI Benefits were created by the four students over the past few months.

“Many web users prefer audio or video over text.  People learn in different ways,” adds Mike Monahan, Director of the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project and co-manager of GeorgiaLegalAid.org . “Once we get low-income clients on the web reading and listening, we can move them to take action on their legal problem or help them avoid a problem altogether.  We can also direct them on the website to legal aid programs or to local bar associations in their community to get legal assistance.”

Renata Turner, Associate Professor and Director of Pro Bono Outreach and Externships at John Marshall Law School notes, “We are honored and proud to be a part of this project. Our students had fun, learned about discrete areas of the law, and created a practical tool to improve access to justice for low-income citizens- all the goals of our pro bono  program.”

“This is just the beginning,” Gelpi said. “Our goal is to create a comprehensive video library in multiple languages to serve as a jumping-off point for those in need of legal assistance.”

For more information on these programs visit Pro Bono Project or the Georgia Legal Services Program. AJMLS would also like to extend our appreciation to Mike Mohahan for highlighting the accomplishments of our students.

AJMLS to Host Prospective Student Open House, October 20

Students interested in attending Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School are invited to learn more about the school, meet professors, students, alumni and key staff at our Prospective Student Open House 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 20, 2012. The event will be at the law school’s Blackburn Conference Center located at 1405 Spring Street, Atlanta, GA 30309. To RSVP to this event, please contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@johnmarshall.edu or by phone at 404-872-3593 ##Ext. 211.