| Details: American Inns of Court (AIC) are designed to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar. An American Inn of Court is an amalgam of judges, lawyers, and in some cases, law professors and law students. Each Inn meets approximately once a month both to "break bread" and to hold programs and discussions on matters of ethics, skills and professionalism.
Looking for a new way to help lawyers and judges rise to higher levels of excellence, professionalism, and ethical awareness, the American Inns of Court adopted the traditional English model of legal apprenticeship and modified it to fit the particular needs of the American legal system. American Inns of Court help lawyers to become more effective advocates and counselors with a keener ethical awareness. Members learn side-by-side with the most experienced judges and attorneys in their community.
An American Inn of Court is not a fraternal order, a social club, a course in continuing legal education, a lecture series, an apprenticeship system, or an adjunct of a law school's program. While an AIC partakes of some of each of these concepts, it is quite different in aim, scope, and effect.
American Inns of Court actively involve more than 25,000 state, federal and administrative law judges, attorneys, legal scholars and law students. Membership is composed of the following categories: Masters of the Bench;judges, experienced lawyers, and law professors; Barristers; lawyers with some experience who do not meet the minimum requirements for Masters; Associates; lawyers who do not meet the minimum requirement for Barristers; and Pupils; law students. The suggested number of active members in an Inn is around 80.
Most Inns concentrate on issues surrounding civil and criminal litigation practice, and include attorneys from a number of specialties. However, there are several Inns that specialize in criminal practice, federal litigation, tax law, administrative law, white-collar crime, bankruptcy, intellectual property, family law, or employment and labor law.
The membership is divided into pupillage teams, with each team consisting of a few members from each membership category. Each pupillage team conducts one program for the Inn each year. Pupillage team members get together informally outside of monthly Inn meetings in groups of two or more. This allows the less-experienced attorneys to become more effective advocates and counselors by learning from the more-experienced attorneys and judges. In addition, each less-experienced member is assigned to a more-experienced attorney or judge who acts as a mentor and encourages conversations about the practice of law.
http://www.innsofcourt.org/Default.aspx |
| Details: Sojourner House, an Advocacy & Resource Center for domestic violence victims in Rhode Island. Our agency serves as a leader assisting victims of domestic violence and their children. Since 1976, we have provided a safe haven for victims to reclaim their lives.
Sojourner House offers a comprehensive network of support that helps victims of domestic violence rebuild their lives, piece by piece. The rebuilding process takes place on all levels, and supports our clients' physical and emotional well-being. Our help can begin with emergency support and crisis intervention, if necessary, and can also include providing shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and addressing any other special needs a victim might have. Additionally, the agency supports the Rhode Island community in domestic violence prevention by offering a variety of educational and awareness programs. http://www.sojournerri.org/ |
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