ABA Law Student Division
2009 Work-A-Day Community Service
Financial Crisis Solutions
Banking on Our Communities
Work-A-Day is the annual public service project of the ABA Law Student Division which brings law students from across the country together to participate in a one day public service project in their community. Law schools and students are encouraged to create activities and events during the first two weekends of October (or any other day/week/or month that is convenient to your law school) to help our communities cope with the financial and legal challenges that confront today’s families in the current economic climate.
We have created a tool-kit to jump-start the development of your Work-A-Day programming. In the tool-kit you will find resources, statistics and sample program ideas to help you implement a program that fits your community’s needs.
If you have any questions or you would like to get more involved, please contact your circuit governor or any of the public interest committee members.
Tell us about your Work-A-Day Activities >>>
Getting Started
Create A Committee
- The first step in developing a successful Work-A-Day initiative is to create a planning committee, comprised of faculty, staff, and students which is charged by your school organization or administration with developing and implementing a plan for a successful Work-A-Day campaign.
- It is important that you put together a diverse team, council, or committee of the proper size. Some experts say that more than 10 or 15 members can be counterproductive. Remember that inclusion is better than exclusion. Find a way for willing individuals to participate. It is important to create a broad base of participation.
Determine the Objective
- The committee should define its overall objective. Do you want to reach out to the students in your school, the community, families in the community or a combination of all three?
- Consider whether your main objective is to disseminate information, fund-raising or hands-on contact through an organization. It could be a combination of all these things or something we haven’t even mentioned.
- Support for your public interest initiatives from all levels of the law school is important, but support from administration is critical. If you are interested in accomplishing multiple tasks, consider creating teams co-chaired by members of the administration. This allows the committee to have authority and legitimacy while serving as an advisory role for the administration.
Funding Your Project
Looking for funding for your Work-a-Day project this year?
In addition to your law school and affiliated organizations, there are sources within the ABA that can provide funding for your program or a fellowship dealing with homelessness.
ABA Law Student Division Grant Program
The ABA Law Student Division, through its Grant Program, provides financial and program support to student organizations of ABA-approved law schools to establish programs and other activities that emphasize diversity, ethics, professionalism training and public interest/service activities. (Refer to the Work-A-Day Toolkit for details)
2009 Work-A-Day Toolkit
Websites
Resources from the American Bar Association
- ABA Center for Pro Bono
- ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
- ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law
- ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty
- ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense
- ABA Career Resources Center
- ABA Division for Public Services
- Many state bar associations also have resources available
Other Organizations
- National Legal Aid and Defenders Association
- Foreclosure Real Estate Listing
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Mortgage Bankers Association
- National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
- Non profit credit card counseling services:
- Most local Legal Aid Societies have housing law and unemployment law programs
State and Federal Government
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development
- US Federal Housing Authority
- US Federal Reserve
- US Department of Labor
- The Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center
- State and City Housing and Unemployment Offices and Departments
Other Resources
Note: The organizations and websites listed above are not endorsed by the ABA Law Student Division, but merely provided as a resource for students planning Work-A-Day activities. Please refer to the Work-A-Day Toolkit for short narrative descriptions of the above organizations.
