Young Lawyers Division Activities
Upcoming Events
YLD members are invited to attend a Welcome Reception for the newly sworn in members of the State Bar of New Mexico. The new admittees were sworn in by the New Mexico Supreme Court on September 26 and it is now time to celebrate their recent achievement! In addition, Keya Koul, YLD Chair-Elect for 2012, will be in attendance to briefly introduce YLD members to activities taking place at the national level through the ABA YLD.
The reception will take place on Friday, October 28, 2011, at the Q bar, Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande NW in Albuquerque, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. All members of the YLD are welcome to attend. Please RSVP by sending an email to Tina Cruz at tina.cruz@cruzlaw-nm.com.
Activities
"Ask-a-Lawyer" Call-in (Statewide)
Free legal information is provided to callers in conjunction with the annual Law Day celebration held in early May.
Bar Exam Preparation
The process of taking the bar exam is explained to applicants by a representative from the Board of Bar Examiners and YLD volunteers Cristina Adams, Ben Sherman, or Tina Cruz. You can obtain more specific information by calling (505) 271-9706, e-mailing info@nmexam.com, or visiting the Board of Bar Examiner's Web page, www.nmexam.org.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
A committee of YLD members develop with State Bar staff the annual "Bridge the Gap" seminar for new attorneys. YLD representatives may serve as faculty and assist with planning other CLE programs relevant to new attorneys. For more information, contact either the 2011 Bridge the Gap chairs, Martha Chicoski or Samantha Jarrett or Sylvia Aguirre at (505) 797-6059 of the State Bar's CLE office.
Homeless Legal Clinic (Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Santa Fe)
Pro Bono legal services are provided at the HealthCare for the Homeless location in downtown Albuquerque and Las Cruces, and Santa Fe. The Santa Fe location is at the St. Elizabeth Shelter, 804 Alarid St., which can be reached by calling (505) 982-6611, extension 108. The e-mail contact for each location is as follows:
Albuquerque Laurel Nesbitt, nesbitt@66law.com
Las Cruces Steven Almanza, estevalmanza@hotmail.com
Santa Fe Donna Lynch, djlynch58@q.com
Junior Judges (ongoing)
Interactive community service program designed to teach 3rd, 4th and 5th graders to judge for themselves what the right thing to do is in tough situations. Topics include bullying, cheating, gangs and weapons, drugs and alcohol, and teasing. Video and teaching curriculum available to assist volunteer attorneys with class presentations/ discussions. For more information or to volunteer, please contact:
Albuquerque: Martha Chicoski
Santa Fe/Northern New Mexico: Tina Cruz and Hans Erickson
7th Judicial District: Matt Page
Rio Rancho: Cristina Adams and Tina Cruz
Other Regions: To be determined
Law Day Video Contest
The YLD invites students in grades 9-12 to participate in the 2nd Annual Law Day Video Contest sponsored by the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the Division for Public Education, the Standing Committee on Judicial Independence, and the State Bar of New Mexico Young Lawyers Division. This program provides a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about our legal system, get creative and win an educational trip to Washington, D.C. The theme for the 2012 Law Day Video Contest is "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom." Students would be expected to submit a three minute video by Feb. 15, 2012.
More detail about the Law Day Video Contest can be found at the following links:
You Tube Contest Flyer
www.ambar.org/lawday or on Facebook by searching for ABA YLD Law Day Video Contest.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Matt Page, ABA Law Day Video Contest N.M. Committee, at mateopage@hotmail.com or 505-401-3442.
Mock Interview Program
The Young Lawyers Division is seeking volunteer attorneys to serve as interviewers from 9 a.m. to noon, March 3, 2012, for its annual Young Lawyers Division/UNM School of Law Mock Interview Program. The mock interviews and subsequent critiques assist UNM law students with preparation for job interviews. Attorneys from all practice areas, both public and private sectors, as well as judges are needed. A brief training session will be held at 8:15 a.m. at the UNM School of Law preceding the interviews. Contact Samantha Hults, YLD Chair, at sammysam01@yahoo.com by Feb. 17, 2012 to volunteer.
Regional Brownbag Luncheons
Local judges inform and discuss with new attorneys matters related to practicing law in the courts.
Serving Our Seniors
The national launch of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division's public service project "Serving Our Seniors" was in 2010. This project provides low-income seniors with pro bono legal services in the form of simple wills, powers of attorney, and advanced healthcare directives.
Statewide: Roxanna Chacon
Other Regions: To be determined
Speed Networking Event
The Speed Networking Event pairs attorneys with UNM law students for speed networking, i.e. people meeting each other one at a time for a short interval and then moving on to the next person in line. The goal is to create an environment other than a standard business event in which networking connections can be made. For more information or to participate, contact Keya Koul.
Summer Fellowship Program
The YLD has offered summer fellowships since 2005 to law students who are interested in working in public interest law or the government sector. If you are interested in additional information and would like to submit an application, contact Samantha Jarrett.
UNM School of Law
For more information, please contact a member of the YLD Board:
2011 YLD Board of Directors
Voices Against Violence
Voices Against Violence is a recent ABA/YLD public service project created to educate lawyers about the epidemic of domestic violence, particularly among the teen population. Volunteers will speak with high school and college students about teen dating violence. As the project advances, pro bono opportunities may be available.
Contacts in Albuquerque: Keya Koul, Matt Page, and Martha Chicoski.
Wills for Heroes
The Young Lawyers Division participates in the Wills for Heroes Program, which provides essential legal documents free of charge to New Mexico’s first responders Services include wills, living wills, and powers of attorney. By planning now, first responders from local police and fire departments (including spouses and domestic partners) can ensure that their family's legal affairs are in order. Through the Wills for Heroes Program, attorneys are giving back to the community and "protecting those who protect us."
Albuquerque: Samantha Jarrett and Ben Sherman
Other Regions: To be determined
YLD...In Brief
Articles for new practitioners are written by YLD members and disseminated twice a year as a newsletter in the Bar Bulletin.
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