Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />Item 6.8. <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />TO: Mayor and City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Pat Klaers, City Administrator <br /> <br />DATE: April 18, 2005 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Consider Extension of Student Law Clerk Program <br /> <br />In February the City Council discussed the law clerk-internship program between the city <br />prosecuting attorney's office and William Mitchell School of Law. At that time there was a <br />misunderstanding over the number of hours and funding available for the program. In <br />February the City Council approved retaining Clarissa Christian on through the end of April, <br />to use the city forfeiture fund for this program, and to discuss the options available again in <br />later April. The cost to the city was $13.00 per hour for 20 hours per week with no benefits. <br /> <br />The purpose of the internship program is to help with stafftng issues in the prosecuting <br />attorney's office for both the attorney and the legal secretary. Additionally, this internship <br />program is an excellent opportunity for a certified student attorney to gain municipal <br />experience. This program has been working out very well for the city and for Clarissa. <br /> <br />For the next few years it's appropriate to continue with the law clerk-internship program <br />with William Mitchell School of Law. This is a low cost option for the city and our first time <br />experience has been very positive. Prosecuting Attorney Chris Johnson has been in contact <br />with the school and is working towards another internship. <br /> <br />Clarissa Christian is available for a few months to continue working for the city. She takes <br />her Law Bar at the end of July and has a job offer that begins in August. Prosecuting <br />Attorney Chris Johnson recommends that we retain Clarissa Christian on a part time basis <br />until around mid-August. Funding for continuing with this program will have to come from <br />the City Council Contingency Fund. The 2005 legal budget is short in the personal services <br />category. (For some unknown reason we did not include funding for retaining Clarissa <br />through the summer, nor did we include funding for continuing the internship program.) <br /> <br />Clarissa has requested $18.00jhour (with no benefits) to help cover her increased expenses <br />(i.e. gas). To retain Clarissa on a part time basis for an additional four months at $18.00 per <br />hour should be less than $6,000. <br /> <br />s: \ Council\Pat\200S \ W orksessions \LawClerk.doc <br />