The City of Philadelphia Budget Crunch Is Hitting The

Volunteer Opportunity for the Defenders Association of Philadelphia

The City of Philadelphia budget crunch is hitting the Defenders Association particularly hard. There is now a hiring freeze at the Defenders. For the first time, in my twenty-seven year institutional memory, there will be no new class of attorneys in September.

We are attempting to fill in potential gaps in client services. We are looking to start a project that offers law students from different area law schools an opportunity to work together in a public service capacity. We have contacted (in alpha order) Drexel, Penn, Rutgers, Temple, Villanova, and Widener Law Schools and are looking for about 3 to 6 law students from each who are interested in either public interest or criminal defense work. Beginning in August 2009, we will train those law students in client interviewing techniques and we will then ask each student to give us a minimum of two hours per week throughout the remainder of the semester. Since the students in question will be entrusted with a great deal of direct client contact, we have each of the law schools to support the project by offering either public services/pro bono service hours.

In addition to benefiting our clients and the indigent community generally, we believe that such a project would benefit the both law students and the law schools involved by allowing them to join hands to serve the poorest and most marginalized in our society.

As part of this project, I have developed six Training Modules. The modules are each 2 hours long and are designed to work independently of one another, with the exception of Module One, which must precede any of the other modules. I am intending to offer each module at least twice because I will be working with so many different schedules. The second offering of the modules will be on a Saturday so that it will not conflict with anyone's class schedule. The modules are attached.

Thank you for your interest and support! Mary DeFusco

If you are interested, please contact the Widener PIRC Office Kristan Crane Lopez at 302-477-2264 or [email protected] DEFENDER CLIENT INTERVIEWING PROJECT TRAINING MODULE ONE Tuesday August 25, 2009: 10 am – 12pm Wednesday August 26, 2009: 1 pm – 3pm Monday August 31, 2009: 3pm – 5 pm ACTIVITY FACULTY DURATION Defender Training Workshop: Finding the Client’s Story

Basic Introduction to the DeFusco 1 hour Criminal Justice System including ARD & Treatment Court

Criminal Court System and the Defender System

Ethical Considerations Introduction to Irvine ½ hour Investigations Unit Introduction to Adult Social Services Stewart ½ hour

MODULE TWO Wednesday August 26, 2009: 3:15 pm – 5:15 pm Tuesday September 1, 2009; 10 am – 12 pm ACTIVITY FACULTY DURATION Client Interviewing 2 hours Workshop DeFusco Immigration/Non TBA English Speaking Clients

Mental Health Issues

MODULE THREE Thursday August 27, 2009: 1 pm – 3 pm Wednesday September 2, 2009: 10 am – 12 pm ACTIVITY FACULTY DURATION Substantive Offenses Larrabee/Shender 2 hours including DUI Interviewing MODULE FOUR Thursday August 27, 2009: 3:15 pm – 5:15 pm Wednesday September 2, 2009: 2 pm – 4 pm ACTIVITY FACULTY DURATION Substantive Defenses DeFusco 1 hour Court Computer Training Lindsay 1 hour

MODULE FIVE Friday August 28, 2009: 1 pm – 3 pm Thursday September 3, 2009: 10 am – 12 pm ACTIVITY FACULTY DURATION Law of Search and Seizure in Pennsylvania Rudovsky/Chicowicz 2 hours

MODULE SIX Friday August 28, 2009: 3:15 – 5:15pm Friday September 4, 2009: 10 am – 12 pm ACTIVITY FACULTY DURATION Sentencing in Rosalsky 2 hours Pennsylvania: General and Mandatory Issues

Catch-up Modules will be scheduled on an “as needed” basis for Saturday, September 12, 2009.

All Modules will be taught at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, 1441 Sansom St.; Philadelphia, PA 19102 in the Training Room on the fifth floor.