Seminars & Webcasts

Pro Bono

Professional Practice

Seminars

• Jun. 28, 2013 San Francisco, CA

End of Life Planning is, like Death and Taxes, one of those things that can go from an easy, informative and straightforward conversation to a drawn-out nightmare if ignored. Low income and very low-income clients, unlike the average middle class client, frequently do not understand the importance of, for example, having identified caretakers for their minor children in place. They frequently resort to “no planning” or improvised planning which does ...

• Jul. 12, 2013 New York, NY

The Municipal Law Institute offers attendees sharp analyses of important developments, emerging legal issues and best practices in the field of municipal law. Topics Discussed Will Include: The Municipal Response to Natural Disasters Ethics for the Municipal Lawyer Employment Law Update

• Jul. 26, 2013 San Francisco, CA

Volunteer lawyers are needed to help the many low income clients facing a wide assortment of consumer law matters who are unrepresented. Attend this program to learn the basics of consumer law so that you can competently represent a client in need and learn new advocacy skills.

• Jul. 29, 2013 New York, NY

Advocates representing children, parents, child welfare or foster care agencies, or working on policy must address evolving issues in an increasingly complex environment. This year, PLI’s 16th Annual Children’s Law Institute will focus on a variety of social and legal issues affecting child welfare and juvenile justice practice.

• Aug. 2, 2013 New York, NY

Attend PLI’s New York Public Assistance and Food Stamp program and learn how to protect the rights of public assistance and food stamp applicants and recipients to these basic subsistence benefits.  Many applicants have difficulty navigating the confusing and bureaucratic process to establish and maintain eligibility for public assistance and food stamps.  Without legal assistance and advocacy, large numbers of clients go without the benefits ...

• Aug. 9, 2013 New York, NY

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in a 12-month period, 26.2% of American adults will have a diagnosable mental disorder, and 5.8% will have a mental illness classified as severe. The prevalence of mental disorders among individuals involved in the criminal justice system and some areas of the civil legal system is even higher.  This timely program will focus on the intersection of individuals living with mental illness and ...

• Aug. 16, 2013 San Francisco, CA

In the past three decades, incarceration rates have exploded in the U.S., such that today we incarcerate over two million people, more than any other country in the world. The result is that many more people encounter the criminal justice system at some point in their lives. Indeed, an estimated 1 in 4 adults in California has an arrest or conviction record, and people of color are disproportionately affected. A person with a prior record faces ...

• Sep. 3 - 4, 2013 New York, NY

This year’s program will examine key immigration trends and hot topics for 2013.  You will hear from Washington insiders about what is likely to happen with immigration legislation in the coming months, including the real possibility of Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  Will anything move on bills eliminating the per-country limit for employment-based cases, or increasing immigration opportunities for high-skilled workers?  What can ...

• Sep. 26, 2013 San Francisco, CA

Although the recession is beginning to even out and foreclosures in many parts of the country are in the decline, the recession continues to affect financially marginalized people in disproportionate numbers. Many debtors are unrepresented and bankruptcy clinics are still in great demand. There is a critical need for pro bono attorneys to assist low-income clients at all levels. The practice of bankruptcy law changed dramatically with the Bankruptcy ...

• Oct. 3, 2013 San Francisco, CA

The need for pro bono assistance with administrative hearings has never been higher. The increase trend of employers challenging all Unemployment Benefits claims has been combined with the explosion of UI claims during the recession. The recession and aging of the workforce has resulted in an increase in disability-based Social Security claims. Budget cuts and program changes have created a “perfect storm” for public assistance recipients, and delays ...

• Oct. 9, 2013 San Francisco, CA

Currently, approximately 686,000 students with disabilities receive special education services in California, comprising about 10 percent of the state’s public school enrollment. The California Special Education Law Program will provide attendees with an overview of the basics of Special Education Law, as well as an opportunity to hear from experts in the field on the trends and cutting edge issues affecting the practice today.