Agenda

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C. 38

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Robin Lipetzky, Public Defender
Date:	December 15, 2015

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Contract Payable (Lawyers for America)

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/15/2015

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Richard Loomis, 925-335-8093

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 15, 2015
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Defender, or designee, to execute a Field Agency Agreement and accompanying Memoranda of Agreement with University of California Hastings College of Law and Lawyers for America in an amount not to exceed $102,000 to provide work experiences for two (2) law students for the Lawyers of America program for the period of August 15, 2015 through September 15, 2017.

FISCAL IMPACT:

$102,000, 100% General Fund

BACKGROUND:

These Agreements will extend and continue the Lawyers of America Program between UC Hastings College of Law and the Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office. As applied in this Office, the program combines academic legal training with real world criminal defense in the County's trial courts. This Program is an internship activity which aims to improve the lawyering skills of new lawyers while expanding the availability of legal services for those defendants who cannot afford to hire lawyers and for the public by providing two-year work experiences in the public and nonprofit business sectors. The primary purpose of these Agreements is to further the educational objectives of the Program by placing two (2) clinical Fellows with the Agency to work under the direction of a designated attorney supervisor and other Agency attorneys in the defense of criminal cases.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The Office of the Public Defender would not be able to continue participation in the Lawyers for America Program.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

No impact.