December 20, 2011
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

By Practicing Law Institute.
Credit approved in most states, including WA.

For more info:

http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/11/dec-20web-ethics-issues-in-pro-bono.html

Thursday, December 15, 2011 • 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Red Lion Hotel
Waterfront Lounge

Appetizer Buffet
No Host Bar
Guests are Welcome

Please RSVP by December 12th

In leiu of a cover charge, please bring a new toy, game, coloring book, or article of children’s clothing to donate to Clallam Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers. All items collected will be distributed to children who accompany their parents or guardians to consultations at the Pro Bono office.

Mark Baumann, JD, Rachel Hardies, MA, and Angeles Mediation, will be operating a pro bono Domestic Violence Mediation Project to help low income families who have had allegations or a history of domestic violence resolve conflict through mediation. Domestic violence may involve physical and/or emotional abuse, and/or may be perceived as a “high conflict” case. These are difficult cases that require special handling and attention, particularly to both parties needs and safety.

The interdisciplinary DV Mediation Project is an access to justice oriented project, offering people of modest means an alternative to litigation that may also offer a more effective method of managing entrenched conflict patterns. Part of the purpose of the project is to develop and report on effective mediation techniques for domestic violence situations.

The DV Mediation Project encourages attorney and advocate participation and the development of safety plans. Attorneys and advocates interested in participating in the Project may contact Mark Baumann or Nancy Rohde, and are encouraged to attend the Quileute Tribe’s unique DV training opportunity by the Southwest Center for Law and Policy in La Push on June 28 and 29. (This training is free and offers CLE credit. For more information see http://clallamcountybar.com/2011/06/03/842/)

The DV Mediation Project will be coordinated through the Clallam County Pro Bono Lawyers, and parties interested in mediation services should call them for scheduling, and call Healthy Families for advocate and safety planning services in this or any DV situation. If you are interesting in contributing to the project, as a volunteer mediator, advocate, advisor, counselor, educator, concept developer, or otherwise, please call for more information.

Mark Baumann
360-452-8688

Rachel Hardies
360-670-2336

Clallam County Pro Bono Lawyers, 360-417-0818
Healthy Families, 360-452-2381

To help prepare for the 9-30-11 AM roundtable discussion about homelessness, please tell us how the ‘economic tsunami’ and homelessness are impacting you and your clients.

Send input to Shelter Providers Network coordinator Martha Ireland at serenitymartha@gmail.com or 452-4737.

Also – watch for “Survey Monkey” to send you a brief pre-forum survey.

Please share this invitation with your board of directors and everyone who is?”or should be?”interested in ending homelessness.

Thanks! and I hope to see you there,

Martha Ireland

2011 Annual Planning Forum on Ending Homelessness Agenda

‘Facing the Economic Tsunami’

8:30 AM Registration – Coffee and Tea

9:00 AM Welcome and Introduction – Martha Ireland, coordinator

9:10 AM Annual Report Card on Ending Homelessness – Pam Tietz and Kathy Wahto

9:20 AM From Homeless to Homeowner – one woman’s personal story

9:30 AM Facing the Economic Tsunami – a roundtable discussion about homelessness

• Impacts on Agencies – Impacts on People – Impacts of Homelessness
• Legislative Challenges, Accomplishments, Prognosis affecting Homelessness
• Homelessness and Public Services – Cities, County, Schools, Hospitals
• Strategies & Opportunities – Effectively Raising Revenue to End Homelessness
• Strategies & Opportunities – Efficiently Employing Resources to Prevent and End Homelessness

11:00 AM Collaboration to Build Capacity – Sandy Burgess, Catholic Housing Services Introduction by Pam Tietz, Peninsula Housing Authority

1:45 AM Light lunch, announcements, results of baseline poll (Survey Monkey)

12:00 PM Planning to End Homelessness, Second Half of the Ten Year Plan

a ‘small group’ exercise to explore how to maintain advances and continue to move ahead with the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in Clallam County

12:45 PM Report Back for a Unified Plan

1:30 PM Adjourn

Add your comments online: http://www.bigtent.com/group/forum/message/55972835?md=MTcwMzE2MDU=

This trainings is FREE, offers CLE credit and is open to anyone (breakfast & lunch provided).

Southwest Center for Law and Policy (SWCLAP), based in Tucson, Arizona, is a nationally recognized training and technical assistance provider and approved by the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women to provide training and technical assistance to grantees. Please contact Monica Henry, New Beginnings Program Manager, if you are interested in receiving CECs for this training.

The purpose of this training is to provide law enforcement, court personnel, prosecutors, judges, victim advocates, school staff, social service & health providers and community members with the knowledge and skills to understand and effectively respond to domestic violence and dating violence.

Southwest Center for Law & Policy and the Quileute Tribe New Beginning’s Domestic Violence and Teen Intimate Partner & Sexual Violence Training Agenda:
June 28th, 2011
8:00 – 8:30 Opening and Traditional Welcome
8:30 – 10:00 Effective Investigation and Prosecution of Domestic Violence Crimes – Hallie Bongar White
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 11:15 Identifying Predominant Aggressors and Self-Defense – Hallie Bongar White
11:15 – Noon Courtroom Safety in Domestic Violence Cases – Melodie Lopez
12:00 — 1:30 Lunch (provided) / Film: “Sin By Silence”
1:30 – 3:00 Native Teens: Dating Violence/Intimate Partner Violence- Melodie Lopez
3:00 – 3:15 Break
3:15 – 4:45 School and Community Issues to Protect Teen Victims – Melodie Lopez

June 29th, 2011
8:30 – 10:00 Interviewing domestic violence victims, perpetrators, and other witnesses – Hallie Bongar White
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – Noon Protection Orders for Teens and other Victims- Hallie Bongar White
12:00—1:00 Lunch (provided) Film: “Listen to the Grandmothers”
1:30 – 3:00 Sexual Assault against Teens – Melodie Lopez
3:00 – 3:15 Break
3:15 – 4:45 Confidentiality with Teen Victims – Melodie Lopez
4:45 – 5:00 Closing

Ride sharing: For information, contact Emily Qualls at the Law Office of Mark Baumann, 360-452-8688

To register, contact:
Monica Henry Quileute Tribe New Beginnings Program Manager & Victim Advocate
monica.henry@quileutenation.org
Phone: (360) 374-5110
Fax: (360) 374-5128

Friday, May 6, 2011
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

(The afternoon Court calendars will start at 2:00 p.m. to accomodate this event)

BUFFET LUNCH
AWARDS
A CLE PRESENTATION , by
Harry Schneider, Jr., Joseph McMillan, and Charles Sipos
The Trial of Salim Ahmed Hamdan:  Constitutional Challenge to Executive Power and the First War Crimes Trial of a GITMO Detainee
(Approved for Ethics Credit by the WSBA)

Clallam County lawyers Steve Robbins, of the NW Justice Project, Harry Gasnick, the Clallam County Public Defender, Joe Lavin, in a private social security practice, and Kathleen McCormick and Mark Baumann, both in their own family law private practice, all donated time at the event.

For more information, see the article in the Peninsula Daily News:

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110318/news/303189976/gathering-in-port-angeles-to-aid-homeless-draws-300

Steve Robbins said “It was very good to be there. We helped several people including some difficult eviction situations.”

Kathleen McCormick commented that “there were some challenging cases. Several people asked how they could get identification when, because of their circumstances, they had lost every form of identification they had. It would be great to have an attorney with experience on this issue next year.”

[Editor's note: The opportunity to help people at this event and offer them a moment of compassion, respect and hope was very rewarding. It was also a wonderful chance to connect, in the slow times, with the 40 other service providers, many of whom have very little experience or understanding of the ways courts can help people, especially in the Family Court. Mark Baumann]

Click here for a Project Homeless Connect information flyer 2011.

You may be wondering, “Hhow can I help or represent homeless people?” These folks generally don’t need what you might think, and what they do need turns out to be a greater gift to you of more than just giving.

For sure, some people at PHC need legal triage, have specific questions and/or need direction to further services. But most simply need someone to listen to them, someone to hear their story, empathize with them, and respect their feelings. The gift to us is an opportunity to practice our ability to listen and create a deep human connection with our clients in order for them to not feel helpless and alone. Our ability to do this makes us better lawyers and happier people.

At last year’s PHC few of the people I saw needed any specific advice. Most wanted to know that the understanding they had of their experiences were reasonable and that their feelings were not crazy. They didn’t need a lawyer to represent them, write something up, or even give them advice.

Even if you don’t know anything about landlord-tenant, mortgage, family, disability, employment, criminal, entitlement law, or about mediation or courtroom procedures, you can make a valuable contribution listening and/or screening.

Last year over 300 people sought services at PHC. For those of you who may need to print out documents a printer will be provided and online forms will be available. Attached is an Advice and Consult Agreement that may be used. To contribute your time, simply contact Nancy at Pro Bono, at 417-0818 or email probonolawyers@gmail.com.

For a summary of last year efforts, please see http://clallamcountybar.com/2010/01/29/project-homeless-connect-a-success/

Mark Baumann
Mark@markbaumann.com

Friday, May 7, 11:45 – 1:00 Community Senior Center
328 East 7th Street Port Angeles, WA
Rep. Lynn Kessler – Speaker
Service Awards — to be announced at the meeting.

Please RSVP to 452-9137
$30.00 per person

A local hero is someone who has exhibitied an “above and beyond” approach towards our community, ether by way of pro bono service or other means, that is deserving of acknowledgment .

Please RSVP by emailing WSBAevents@wsba.org, or calling 206-239-2132 by April 16, 2010.

• Northwest Justice Project, Steve Robbins,
• Clallam County Public Defenders, Harry Gasnick, Jonathan Feste, Loren Oakley, Charley Commeree and Doug Kresl,
• private attorney Joe Lavin , and,
• working with Clallam County Pro Bono Lawyers, private attorneys Kathleen McCormick and Mark Baumann,
• Angeles Mediation.

Over 300 people sought services at the event. The Peninsula Daily News published an overview article. More information can be obtained from the event coordinator, Jill Dole, Clallam County Health & Human Services, (360) 565-2608.

And, a special thanks to Cock-a-Doodle doughnuts for helping to feed the troops.

Attorneys, mediators and other adults interest in mediation, are needed to serve as supervisory committee members, and/or trainers. Peacekeepers is a PAHS program, but is maintained by school staff/administration and non-school community members. The primary functions for the adults is not to conduct or assist with mediations, but to:

• train student mediators, for the annual fall training and ongoing trainings throughout the year
• assist with debriefing/training for student mediators as needed
• ensure student recruitment occurs every year
• ensure a program coordinator is selected and trained every year
• assist with raising funds (if and when needed)
• be responsible for maintaining and reviewing student mediation contracts
• act as a liaison with the school district
• develop and maintain program policies
• perform any other functions as necessary to ensure the continuing health of the program.

An initial 2-day training  for the program will be held on Thursday and Friday, February 5th and 6th, 2010. Interested adults and students should contact Mark Baumann or Taylor Schraudner at the numbers below.

The February training will be conducted by CRU Institute, a Bellevue company specializing in setting up high school peer mediation programs and curriculum.

Peacekeepers is a joint community effort supported by the Port Angeles High School, Angeles Mediation, Vista, the North Olympic Volunteer Center and the North Olympic Youth Corps. Funding for the cost of training was provided by a generous grant from the Port Angeles Education Foundation, Angeles Mediation, and the Kiwanis of Port Angeles.

Taylor Schraudner, PAHS Vista Volunteer, will serve as the volunteer program coordinator for the 2009-2010 school year.

Taylor Schraudner, Vista, 360-504-1201
Mark Baumann, Angeles Mediation, 360-452-8688
AngelesMediation.com

I want to make sure you know about Project Homeless Connect, an opportunity for service and learning. It is a one day service-fair type event, offered to homeless people, and organized by Serenity House and several service organizations. A variety of services will be offered, including legal services. NW Justice Project will there, as will Joe Lavin. I will be offering legal and mediation services from 9:30-11:15.

Some examples of other services being offered include medical, job info, social services, haircuts, clothing, food, housing info, and pet Care.

Email me if you would like more information. I have a PDF that has great information on Clallam’s efforts to reduce homelessness. For example, the project implemented a 10 year plan in 2005. In the first three years, the plan succeeded in reducing homelessness by 41%, creating over 200 new housing units, has distributed/leveraged millions of dollars in government resources, and serves over a 1,000 people each year.

Please let me know if you have any interest in providing services at this one day event. I will have a consultation “booth” set up in the morning, and it will be available for anyone else in the afternoon, although I am sure there is room for more booths. Anyone interested is welcome to borrow my printer. I normally think of homeless legal needs as including housing, landlord-tenant, family law, criminal law, employment, administrative and social security (being covered by Joe). Perhaps you may have some other areas of law you feel may be useful to provide.

I am working on a pertinent and very short form representation agreement, and will be happy to share it. If you have any interest in helping to develop it, please let me know. Also, I have developed some very simplified intake forms for family and landlord-tenant law that I believe greatly speed up the process of providing legal help in a pro bono triage setting, and I am happy to share them.

For you mediators, here is a link to an article on a fascinating 30 minute triage mediation technique, by Ron Kelly from California. Email me if you are interested.

Event Details:
Thursday · January 28, 2010
9:30 am– 3:30 pm
Vern Burton Center
308 E 4th Street · Port Angeles

For questions or more information, feel free to contact me, or Jill Dole at 565-2608 or jdole@co.clallam.wa.us.

Wishing a great year to you all,
Mark Baumann
MarkBaumann.com

Please RSVP with Terri at the NWJP PA office, 360-452-917. Fax 360-452-4053.