COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES, INC.
Employment Project Philadelphia, PAEstablished in the early 1970's, the Employment Project of Community Legal Services of Philadelphia is at the forefront of the new welfare-reform era focus of "welfare to work." Time limited welfare benefits have thrust employment law issues to center stage in advocacy for welfare recipients as well as low wage workers. With its four employment lawyers, CLS is one of the few legal services programs in the country with expertise in employment law. The following are a few of the issues on which CLS has pioneered legal services advocacy:
- Client education about employment rights with respect to barriers to employment, such as disabilities, history of drug or alcohol addiction and criminal records;
- Application of the Family and Medical Leave Act to low wage workers to preserve their jobs, particularly for absences caused by their children's or their own illnesses;
- Representation of low wage workers in all traditional employment law forums, but particularly in cases of "low wage worker abuse", such as wage law violations and race discrimination encountered by city residents in suburban jobs;
- Advocacy concerning the operations and policies of the unemployment compensation system, so that workers who become unemployed will not be required to rely on welfare as their safety net;
- With CLS's public benefits specialists, policy advocacy with the Department of Public Welfare and others about implementation of the "work" provisions of welfare reform, including working with group clients to design a possible public jobs program for welfare recipients who are unable to find private sector employment.
The Peggy Browning Fund Intern working with CLS' Employment Project can anticipate joining efforts on these and other issues. The summer intern will assist on individual cases which include a great deal of client contact. Additionally, there will be exposure to activities in the area of public advocacy and client education. The criteria for selecting a Peggy Browning Student Intern are: interest in and ability to work directly with low income individuals; flexibility to learn new areas of law and a wide array of advocacy tasks; and strong research and writing skills. Background in employment law and welfare law, while not required, will be considered favorably.
Students interested in applying to Community Legal Services, Inc., Employment Project for a Peggy Browning Fund internship should submit an application package to:
Sharon Dietrich, Esquire
Community Legal Services, Inc.
1424 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-981-3719
sdietrich@clsphila.org
E-mail inquiries are preferred.
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