OPIA Blog

U.S. starting the U.S. Attorneys nominating process

President Obama recently started to undertake the arduous task of nominating attorneys to the U.S. Attorney positions. Mr. Obama has moved forward with 6 nominations. He has 93 to go.

Do not expect a smooth nominating process: With recent U.S. Attorney firings during the Bush Administration and calls to appoint a neutral commission to evaluate nominations to provide a fair and neutral perspective on the nominees, Mr. Obama will face some challenges, particularly from Republican representatives who may view his appointments as political rather than based on their record on enforcing the law.

To read the full article on some of the potential obstacles Mr. Obama may face, click here.

May 20th, 2009 Posted by opia | News | No Comments

The state of pro bono work at law firms

At Stanford Law School on April 4th, students, legal practitioners and academics participated on a panel to address the decline in law firm pro bono work. It’s been well documented that law firms are feeling the impact of the economic recession, particularly those recent law school graduates who have been deferred from their firm. What is not as well documented is the impact on pro bono activity.
The panel, “Pro Bono and the Economic Crisis: The Impact on Education and Practice,” featured prominent public interest attorneys, private practitioners and academics from around the country to discuss the decline (and fear of an even greater decline) in pro bono activity, which has taken a serious hit during the economic downturn. Said one panelist, “…we need to develop a very serious plan of action for dealing with market fluctuations. We know from the research that, when firms are doing well, we see more pro bono, and when they aren’t, we see less pro bono.”
The panelists had varied backgrounds but they were fairly uniform in their sense of urgency. Many believed a new system of pro bono work at law firms should be presented to ensure those without the means to obtain legal services can secure representation.

To read the full panel transcript, click here.

May 20th, 2009 Posted by opia | Pro Bono | 1 Comment