Planning an Itinerary

GALILEE participants are encouraged to plan activities that will give them exposure to a variety of lawyers engaged in public interest, public service and pro bono work and to the problems that those lawyers are addressing. Groups should consider visiting both direct service providers (e.g., legal aid groups) and lawyers involved in broader policy advocacy; including private, non-profit and governmental lawyers working in both criminal and civil practices. The visits need not be limited to law offices. For example, groups have gained broader perspectives on criminal law practice by visiting a public defender office, a prosecutor’s office, and also doing a police ride-along. A group interested in housing law might visit both a legal services office and also a municipal housing court to see how justice plays out in a “people’s court.” One group interested in immigration law visited a non-profit immigrant advocacy office, a detention facility, and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. Every group also visits a private law firm’s pro bono department to develop a sense of how pro bono work can fit into a private firm career, and also to see how the private bar and the public interest bar interact.

Participants should identify general goals for their visit. Are there issues of particular interest to the group? Particular kinds of experiences that members wish to have? The group should also formulate specific goals for each activity that is planned, i.e. what the group wants to learn at each organization. Those specific goals should be discussed with the organizations.

Each group is asked to plan a service activity. Ideally, the service project will be law-related, such as fielding intake calls at a legal aid office. Not every group is able to find a legal volunteering activity, however. Some past groups have served meals at a soup kitchen or volunteered at a homeless shelter. If a group plans a non-legal service activity, it should do something that puts students in direct contact with people in need. Past participants have learned that planning a service activity takes time; it should be started early.

A student mentor from a past GALILEE group will be assigned to each city group to help it plan an itinerary. The student leader will typically have information about past GALILEE visits to that city.

Click here for some general tips and guidelines for creating an itinerary.

Schedule for the City Planning Process for 2012-13

1. Itinerary Planning Meeting (October 5th)
   a. City groups meet with mentors.
   b. Mentors have city information from prior visits.
   c. City groups begin discussion of subject matter interests, types of groups to visit, service trip, lodging, etc.
   d. City groups discuss possible dates for immersion.
   e. City groups determine what additional research needs to be done on the target city and public interest/governmental agencies.
   f. Members of each group trade contact information with one another and with mentor.
   g. City groups give EACH PERSON a research or planning assignment before leaving. Every aspect of the itinerary must have someone in charge.
   h. City groups pick a student leader to be the point person.
   i. City groups and mentors agree on a schedule/process for completing the itinerary and future dates to meet.
   
   
2. October 5th – October 26th
   a. City group members conduct research on target city and its agencies.
   b. City group members begin planning for lodging and potential service project.
   c. City group leader communicates with alumni club or other city contact.
   d. City group meets and communicates with mentor as needed to facilitate planning.
   e. City group mentors coordinate with mentors for other groups going to the same city.
   
   
3. October 26th (Public Interest Law meeting)
   City groups submit a list of possible activities/agencies to the Faculty Coordinator, including alternate agencies in case not all pan out, a potential service activity, and preliminary lodging plans. Information should include names and contact information for city group members and mentor.
   
   
4. October 26th- November 4th
   Faculty coordinator reviews preliminary plans and provides comments to mentors and city groups.
   
   
5. November 5th- December 1st
   City group members contact groups and set detailed itinerary.
   
   
6. December 1st
   Submit proposed itinerary to Faculty Coordinator.
   
   
7. December 17th
   Submit final itinerary to Faculty Coordinator.