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Loyola Law School Accepting Applications for 2009 Journalist Law School Fellowship

Posted on: Friday, 13 March 2009, 11:30 CDT

LOS ANGELES, March 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Civil Justice Program at Loyola Law School Los Angeles is now accepting applications for its fourth-annual Journalist Law School fellowship (JLS), to be held June 17-20 on Loyola Law's Frank Gehry-designed downtown Los Angeles campus. The fellowship condenses three years of law school into a long weekend filled with courses taught by Loyola Law faculty, practicing attorneys and jurists. Journalist fellows, who are competitively selected, receive a certificate of completion at the end of the four-day program. More than 100 reporters, editors and producers have completed the fellowship.

Journalists with at least three years of experience who cover the law in some fashion are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by Monday, March 23. There is no cost to journalists; instruction, lodging and most meals are included in the fellowship. And the Journalist Law School will cover half of travel expenses up to $300. Complete details, including application information and a video about the program, are available at www.lls.edu/cjp/jls.

Loyola's Civil Justice Program started the JLS in 2006 as a way to help journalists navigate the complexities of the legal system and enhance their coverage of it. "Journalists provide the keys to understanding the most complex institutions in our society, including the courts," said Professor John Nockleby, director of the JLS and Loyola's Civil Justice Program. "If journalists have a deeper understanding of law and the legal system, they can help the public better understand -- and critique -- that system."

The core faculty members -- Professors Nockleby, Laurie Levenson, Karl Manheim and Lauren Willis -- will lecture on civil, criminal and constitutional law and other primary topics. Additional faculty will lead breakout sessions, which accepted fellows will suggest and select in advance. Past breakout sessions include After the Crisis: Mortgages, Credit Cards & Payday Lending; Disability Rights Law; Dynamics of the Supreme Court; Election Law; Family Law & Children; Habeas Corpus & the Death Penalty; Intellectual Property; Juvenile Law, the Law of War; Laws of Demonstrations; Legal & Judicial Ethics; Racial Discrimination and News Coverage; the Rules Governing Admission of Evidence at Trial; and Terrorists & Noncombatants: Guantanamo & Due Process.

JLS lectures are supplemented by speaker events featuring a variety of lawyers, judges and veteran journalists. Previous speakers include Shirley Abrahamson, chief justice, Wisconsin Supreme Court; Harland Braun, who represented Robert Blake in his murder trial, Law Offices of Harland Braun; Linda Deutsch, AP legal reporter; Mark Geragos '82, who represented Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson, Law Offices of Geragos & Geragos; George W. Greer, judge in the Terri Schiavo case, Sixth Judicial Circuit; Nora Manella, California Court of Appeal; and Jim Newton, Los Angeles Times editorial page editor. The program will also include a visit to LA's Metropolitan Detention Center.

The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) is a founding sponsor of the program. Other sponsors include the American Association for Justice, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Defense Research Institute and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

What previous fellows have said about the JLS fellowship:

"This should probably be required of all journalists earlier in their careers."

"It's a program that delivers on its promise: teach journalists a better, more comprehensive understanding of the law."

"I came to the program expecting a crash course in the law and, fortunately, I got that. I really felt I was being taught by the very best legal academic minds and it both humbled me and inspired me to re-dedicate myself to better journalistic endeavors down the road. The payoff: accurate reporting and thus a more well informed society."

"The professors at Loyola Law School know their stuff. I can't think of any session where I questioned the level of knowledge held by the speaker -- and, as a reporter, I am paid to be skeptical of people's words."

About Loyola Law School Los Angeles

Located in downtown Los Angeles -- a legal, financial and media capital -- Loyola Law School is home to prominent faculty, dedicated students and cutting-edge programs. Committed to legal ethics and the public interest, it has produced top attorneys for nearly a century. Please visit www.lls.edu for more information or contact Brian Costello, deputy director of communications, at 213.736.1444 or brian.costello@lls.edu.

SOURCE Loyola Law School Los Angeles

Source: PR Newswire

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