CrescentCare Legal Services (CCLS) seeks talented applicants interested in working with us beginning in the Fall of 2018. Deadline to apply: July 14, 2017.
CrescentCare Legal Services (formerly AIDS Law of Louisiana) is a nonprofit, public-interest law firm providing free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and those affected by the epidemic. CrescentCare Legal Services (“CCLS”) is a program of the NO/AIDS Task Force d.b.a. CrescentCare an agency that provides primary medical care and supportive services to the community.
With offices in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, we are Louisiana’s only public-interest law firm dedicated to a practice focused on protecting and advocating for the rights of persons living with and/or affected by HIV and AIDS. We educate the public about AIDS-related legal issues and train case management professionals to become better advocates for their HIV-positive clients. We provide legal and strategic support at local, state and national levels advancing the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS, and to reduce the criminalization and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
In 2014, CrescentCare began operating a federally qualified health center and expanded its services to the general population. The agency has been designated as a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as well as gained recognition as a Level III patient-centered medical. CCLS in partnership with the CrescentCare Health and Wellness clinic is developing a medical legal partnership to provide legal assistance to patients-clients facing socio-economic issues that impacts the goal of achieving healthy outcomes.
Without the help of CCLS attorneys, unmet legal needs would negatively impact clients’ health. Many of our clients would fact the loss of family, food, shelter, income, medical care as well as custody of children and personal safety. The State of Louisiana continues to rank among the top 5 states in the nation for HIV rates, and in the bottom tier for general health outcomes. CCLS is working to expand our services and increase our capacity to identify and address the socioeconomic determinants impacting our clients’ ability to achieve stable, healthy lives through new innovative projects comprised of community outreach and education, advocacy and impact litigation.
Our staff work in the following areas addressing the problems faced by persons living with HIV and AIDS: Medical – Legal Partnership, Securing Public Benefits, Consumer Rights/Debt Defense, Estate Planning, Housing and Employment Discrimination, Privacy Rights, Civil Rights Violations, Access to Healthcare and Education, and the rights of LGBTQs. Additionally, we are exploring opportunities to increase our assistance in the areas of family law, women’s rights, immigrants living with HIV and AIDs, those exiting the criminal justice system, and the general community through our Medical Legal Partnership with the clinical staff at the CrescentCare Health and Wellness Center.
Fellowships:
Each year, Equal Justice Works and the Skadden Fellowship Foundation provide two-year fellowships to graduating law students or outgoing judicial clerks who are motivated to work at a public interest law office. CCLS seeks talented applicants interested in working with us beginning in the Fall of 2018. Interested applicants will have a demonstrated commitment to public interest work, experience working with low income and disadvantaged populations, and a willingness to take the Louisiana Bar. Applicants are expected to develop a proposed project that aligns with Equal Justice Works and/or Skadden Fellowship Foundation. CCLS will work with interested applicant to develop the project proposal.
CCLS Application Deadline:
Interested applicants must submit a (1-2 page) letter of interest for the 2018-2020 fellowship cycle outlining the proposal, and interest in working at CrescentCare Legal Services by July 14, 2017. The proposed project must connect how the legal work will help address and improve health outcomes for our community. After review and selection by CCLS, the applicant and CCLS will work jointly to develop and finalize the application to Equal Justice Works and the Skadden Fellowship Foundation.
Equal Justice Works:
Each year the Equal Justice Works Fellowship competition selects qualified and passionate lawyers who have developed new and innovative legal projects that can impact lives and serve communities in desperate need of legal assistance. Fellows receive a competitive salary, generous loan repayment assistance, connections to their prominent hosts, participation in trainings, and additional support during their two-year tenure. For more details, please visit the EJW website at http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/post-grad/equal-justice-works-fellowships.
EJW Application Deadline: September 27, 2017
Skadden Fellowship:
The purpose of the fellowship is to provide funds for graduating law students or outgoing judicial clerks who wish to work with a host organization that provides civil legal services to the poor, including the working poor, the elderly, the disabled or those deprived of their civil or human rights. For more details, please visit the Skadden Fellowship Foundation website at http://www.skaddenfellowships.org/application.
Skadden Application Deadline: September 18, 2017
Interested applicants must submit a (1-2 page) letter of interest for the 2018-2020 fellowship cycle outlining the proposal directly to Attorney Ranie Thompson, Director of Legal Services: [email protected].