Professor Fred Smith is seeking two to three research assistants for the upcoming school year to assist with research in a range of constitutional areas, including: Section 2 of the 14th Amendment; the Guarantee Clause; sovereignty; campaign finance; housing rights; voting rights; and marriage rights. If interested please e-mail the following to fsmith@law.berkeley.edu: your resume; a list of other extracurricular commitments this fall; two faculty references; and a paragraph about which areas of potential research interest you the most and why.

Professor Elisabeth Semel is in need of a research assistant who is available approximately 10 hours a week, preferably for the entire academic year. Projects include research for a chapter on race discrimination in jury selection.

Please send resumes to Professor Semel at esemel@law.berkeley.edu

Professor Anne Joseph O’Connell seeks a part-time Research Assistant (possibly two) for Summer 2010 (for at least one month between early June and the start of fall classes) to help with various research projects, including one on agency rulemaking and one on qualifications of agency leaders. Familiarity with Excel (to deal with FEC contribution files) is necessary. Interested students should email a resume and unofficial transcript to aoconnell@law.berkeley.edu.

Professor Jennifer Urban would like to hire a summer research assistant to work with her on copyright and privacy research projects. This will include research related to the remix practices of American fans of Japanese anime, copyright takedown notices and “three strikes” policies, and privacy within the home.
She is also conducting research on cloud computing, software patents and IP and technology law clinics.

First year law students interested in this position should submit a resume and writing sample to Professor Urban at jurban@law.berkeley.edu by April 12. Completion of the Intro to Intellectual Property Rights class is not necessary, although it may be helpful. Previous empirical experience may also be helpful, but is not necessary.

Opportunity for collaboration on a publication in support of Informal Advanced Directives with faculty from the Cal School of Public Health.

Professor Marc Pollock (Public Health) is in the process of writing an article in support of “informal” written or oral advanced directives, and is seeking a law student assistant to go through the legal literature and find recent court cases that begin to establish a foundation for this approach. The paper is a guaranteed publication and the assistant’s name would be listed on the paper as well. Work could be completed during the summer months.

The student would need to review the legal foundations beginning with the California Health Care Decisions Act that took effect in 2000, and all pertinent litigation either in support or opposition to Informal Advance Directives.
Two examples would be Conservatorship of Wendland, 28 P3d 151,(2001) here in Calif. or the Michigan case of Martin, 538 NW2d 399. In both cases lower court rulings in favor of oral Advanced Directives, were over-turned by State Supreme Courts.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please reply to Professor Marc Pollock at marcp@berkeley.edu.

The new seminar will explore the burgeoning field of cleantech law and policy from multiple perspectives: environmental protection; energy regulation; technology and intellectual property policy; and business finance. The class would be jointly taught by Professors Peter Menell and Steven Weissman, with assistance from Sarah Barker-Ball (Fall 2010 Energy & Cleantech Program Fellow) and other faculty and fellows of Berkeley Law centers.  The seminar will develop a framework for analyzing the interrelationship between cleantech and environmental policy. Based upon this framework, each student in the seminar will develop an in-depth case study of a major cleantech project. Possible projects include major wind initiatives, building transmission capacity in the Mojave desert, biofuels, electric vehicles, smart grid technologies, high-speed trains, and nuclear energy. Students are welcome to propose other topics as well. Students will meet with advisers — from the faculty and legal practice — as they explore their projects.

The course will extend over both the fall and spring semesters, with 2 units offered each /semester.  The class would comprise: (1) lectures by faculty and guest lecturers on topics such as climate change, environmental regulation, environmental ethics, intellectual property, and cleantech financing frameworks; (2) meetings among students and TAs / professors to discuss project progress; and (3) a special lecture series involving cleantech entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. During the Fall semester and early Spring semester, students will be required to meet a series of research and writing deadlines, such as topic summary, pathfinder, outline and various drafts.

Application: Admission is based on an application process. The application is here and must be submitted to the box outside Boalt 354 no later than April 30, 2010. 

Teaching Assistants: The course will use 2-3 TAs, who will receive academic credit for their participation. Please use the same attached application to apply to be a course TA.

Professor Pamela Samuelson would like to hire a summer research assistant to work with her on intellectual property research projects. This will include research about the derivative work right, copyright reform, and the origins of and justifications for statutory damages. She is also conducting research on software intellectual property rights, including an empirical project on the importance of intellectual property rights for software start-up companies. First year law students interested in this position should submit a resume and writing sample to Professor Samuelson at psamuelson@law.berkeley.edu by April 5. Completion of the Intro to Intellectual Property Rights class is not necessary, although it may be helpful.

Professor David Gamage seeks one or more part-time summer Research Assistant(s) for Summer 2010 to assist with research related to tax and budget policy. Interested students should contact David Gamage at: dgamage@law.berkeley.edu.

Brian Carver, Assistant Professor at the School of Information (and Boalt alumnus), seeks a full-time Research Assistant for Summer 2010 to assist him with his research on copyright and cyberlaw. The RA may research current case law in these areas, may research specific legal questions and write memoranda about the research, may conduct literature reviews and summarize law journal articles, and may assist in case book editing.

Start and end dates are flexible, but full-time availability for at least eight weeks and demonstrated interest in the subject matter, through coursework or extra-curricular activities, is preferred. Pay is GSR Step I.

Please send a cover letter and resume to Brian Carver at: bcarver@ischool.berkeley.edu

Professor Carver hopes to complete interviews by March 18th.

LAW CLERKS—SUMMER 2010:
BERKELEY CENTER ON HEALTH, ECONOMIC & FAMILY SECURITY

The Berkeley Center on Health, Economic & Family Security (Berkeley CHEFS) seeks law students for clerkships in summer 2010. The law clerks will engage in legal and policy research on work-family issues and health care reform. Applicants are encouraged to express interest in one of these topics and provide information about any work experience, academic courses, or research in these areas.

Summer law clerks must be available to work full time during the summer. The positions are unpaid, but Berkeley CHEFS is willing to assist students who are seeking to secure funding from other sources. Please see below for more information on the mission and direction of Berkeley CHEFS.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to chefs@law.berkeley.edu.
Application deadline is March 15, 2009.

————————-
The mission of the Berkeley Center on Health, Economic & Family Security (Berkeley CHEFS) is to address the increasing insecurity faced by American workers and families through the development of integrated and interdisciplinary policy solutions.

The economic security of American families is a growing national concern but policy proposals to address the needs of working families with regard to health security, economic security, and work-family balance are too often advanced separately. With faculty experts in law, social welfare, public health, political science, public policy, medicine, and economics, Berkeley CHEFS initiates robust dialogue and research aimed at developing policy recommendations to assist the engineering of legislative, institutional, and regulatory reforms. Berkeley CHEFS’ programmatic goals include:

*Increasing health security through promoting universal health coverage and improved care delivery at the national, state, and local levels;

*Developing better protections for workers who are on voluntary or involuntary leave from their jobs; and

*Supporting working families in a flexible workplace.

For more information, please visit: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/chefs.htm.

University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice
Classification: Graduate Student Researcher
Working Title: Henderson Center Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)
Pay Rate: $15.53/hr

The Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice (Henderson Center) at UC Berkeley School of Law is seeking a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) for spring 2010, to assist with literature searches and summarizing (abstracting) empirical scholarly articles. Much of the literature searches and abstracting will be related to mental health, girls and incarceration.
Job Description: The Henderson Center GSR will work under the supervision of the Senior Research Associate on a variety of research and administrative tasks associated with developing research proposals and assisting with current research projects on equal opportunity programs and the impact of a restorative justice program at an Oakland, California middle school.
Responsibilities: The Henderson Center GSR will be responsible for performing comprehensive literature reviews, summarizing (abstracting) literature, and transcribing interview data.
Requirements:
• Ability to start work immediately and commit to a regular work schedule, approximately 10 to 15 hours per week.

• Substantial experience with the use of library search engines.

• Substantial experience in summarizing (abstracting) empirical scholarly articles.

• Ability to accurately transcribe digitally recorded interviews.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a small team to set priorities and meet deadlines.

• Ability to preserve the confidentiality of the research study.

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice.

Desired Qualifications:
• Experience working with a research team at an academic institution or nonprofit.
• Background in juvenile mental health issues, particularly related to girls and the juvenile system.

Interested students should submit a resume, a one page statement of interest, and a brief (5 to 10 pages) writing sample to Wilda White, Executive Director, wwhite@law.berkeley.edu.
Established in 1999, the Henderson Center is a research and training center that fosters scholarship on race and poverty that views the law in a larger social context, works in partnership with communities to educate the public and influence policy, and prepares UC Berkeley School of Law graduates to pursue public interest legal careers. For more information, see www.law.berkeley.edu/HendersonCenter.htm.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITION—SPRING 2010:
BERKELEY CENTER ON HEALTH, ECONOMIC & FAMILY SECURITY

The Berkeley Center on Health, Economic & Family Security (Berkeley CHEFS) is seeking a law student research assistant (RA) for the spring 2010 semester. The RA will engage in research on health care reform. Possible upcoming research projects include: preemption and ERISA, immigrant access to health care, antitrust issues in delivery system reform, outcome-based regulation, transparency gaps in health care markets, and due process in the age of technology.

Please see below for more information on the mission and direction of Berkeley CHEFS. The RA will be paid at the standard GSR rate or in lieu of pay, RAs may request credit for their independent research. Preference is given to RAs available to work 10 hours per week.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to chefs@law.berkeley.edu.
Applications must be received by January 8, 2009.

The mission of the Berkeley Center on Health, Economic & Family Security (Berkeley CHEFS) is to address the increasing insecurity faced by American workers and families through the development of integrated and interdisciplinary policy solutions.

The economic security of American families is a growing national concern but policy proposals to address the needs of working families with regard to health security, economic security, and work-family balance are too often advanced separately. With faculty experts in law, social welfare, public health, political science, public policy, medicine, and economics, Berkeley CHEFS initiates robust dialogue and research aimed at developing policy recommendations to assist the engineering of legislative, institutional, and regulatory reforms. Berkeley CHEFS’ programmatic goals include:
- Increasing health security through promoting universal health coverage and improved care delivery at the national, state, and local levels;
- Developing better protections for workers who are on voluntary or involuntary leave from their jobs; and
- Supporting working families in a flexible workplace.
For more information, please visit: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/chefs.htm.

Professor Shultz is looking for a Research Assistant to work with her on two projects - one on law school admissions testing and diversity, the other on disputes over parental status after use of reproductive technology. Estimated time will average approximately 30 hours per month, with ups and downs in the work flow. If interested, please send a resume and transcript to mshultz@law.berkeley.edu. If you have any particular background on either of these topics, include a note about that.

In connection with a study of the impact of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which seeks to reduce bribery by American firms doing business abroad, I need a research assistant preferably a JD candidate or a candidate with a law degree to collect and review a variety of background materials that describe how the Act has been implemented to date and what influences it has had, e.g. the Act’s influence on other OECD countries (in encouraging similar anti-corruption laws), varying levels of enforcement over time by the Department of Justice under different Administrations (e.g. number of prosecutions, filed, amounts of fines collected, and the like), and company’s assessment of what impact the law has had on their business.

This work would require tracking down and reading articles in law and related business and social science journals, tracking down and reading reports issued by the World Bank, IMF, and the OECD, identifying annual reports on prosecutorial activity issued by the US Department of Justice, and materials on the occasional symposia that have been held on the Act and similar laws. It would also entail examining the legislative history of the Act and subsequent Amendments, and reports on oversight hearings held by relevant Congressional Committees.

The RA would be responsible for producing three work products:
1) Copies of the most important articles and reports;
2) An annotated bibliography of relevant materials, organized into various topics or themes as determined by the RA; and
3) A memo identifying main themes and general agreements (if any) among the studies.
From all these reports we will write the first of a series of articles. A coauthership will be part of the work and once funding is obtained the prospects of a long term work are possible

Ultimately, this project, if additional funding is secured, should develop into a book or series or articles, but the first step will be an article that identifies the impediments to implementation and compliance with the FCPA. I’m hoping to attract an RA who would have a longer term interest in the project and who could at least be a co-author on at least on the initial article. [JD candidates can probably arrange to fulfill their writing requirement with work stemming from this project.

Work will commence at Nov 15 2009. Time commitment is variable and to be arranged.

Please contact Rivka Amado at 510- 388- 7814
Email; ramado@law.berkeley.edu

The Berkeley Center for Law, Business and the Economy (BCLBE) seeks 2-3 current law students to volunteer to assist with research and writing related to public and private investments in renewable energy. Topics likely will include federal funding and commercialization related to Department of Energy grants, loan guarantees and tax incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), as well as historical comparisons with federal investments in other industries and sectors, including public health and biotechnology. Students may also have the opportunity to be involved in a one-day conference on these topics in December 2009.

Time commitment: 3-6 hours/week.

Contact: Ken Taymor (ktaymor@law.berkeley.edu) / Braden Penhoet (bpenhoet@law.berkeley.edu)