Job Description
NATURE OF FELLOWSHIP
The ACLU-DC seeks a law student or recent law graduate for a one- or two-year fellowship to begin in fall 2023.
We seek a law student or recent law graduate who has a passion for defending civil rights and civil liberties. The Dunn Fellow will work full-time in the ACLU-DC Legal Department under the supervision of experienced civil rights litigators who are deeply committed to providing comprehensive feedback and mentorship. Primary responsibilities include: conducting legal research in support of ongoing or potential litigation; interviewing witnesses and potential clients; investigating potential cases including through public records requests and interviews with affected community members; taking and responding to discovery; assisting with Know Your Rights trainings and other community outreach; and drafting complaints, motions, and briefs. The Fellow will also support the Policy Department as a part of the ACLU-DC’s integrated advocacy, particularly where bills before the D.C. Council relate to current or potential ACLU-DC litigation.
Legal fellows have in the past had the opportunity to develop their own cases and serve as lead counsel (including primary authorship of complaints and briefs) testify before the D.C. Council, take depositions, and speak on behalf of the ACLU-DC to national and local media outlets.
The ACLU-DC and the selected applicant will decide by mutual agreement whether the fellowship will be one or two years in duration.
The ACLU-DC is currently mostly remote, though in-office space is available and currently optional for all staff. Some in-person work will likely be required, and residency in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia is required. We currently have an asynchronous work environment, and staff are encouraged to work the hours that make the most sense for their personal needs. Flexibility and personal/work balance are important values to the ACLU-DC, and every effort will be made to help employees meet both professional and personal obligations.
Qualifications
-You will have obtained a J.D. by fall 2023 from an accredited law school.
-You are passionate about defending civil rights and civil liberties, particularly of disenfranchised communities.
-You have the empathy and interpersonal skills necessary to connect with, listen to, learn from, advise, and work collaboratively with clients and other community members.
-You have an excellent work ethic, including dependability, diligence, the ability to take ownership over projects, the ability to manage multiple projects; and the commitment to see projects through to completion in a collaborative environment.
-You are receptive to feedback, enthusiastic about learning and self-improvement, and able to incorporate feedback into future work.
-You have excellent legal research skills, including the judgment to discern what cases are relevant to a particular research question, and thoroughness in covering the question asked.
-You have the capacity to engage in thoughtful and perceptive legal analysis, including the ability to build a logical and persuasive argument, to read and understand legal decisions and statutes, and to grasp whether and how legal authorities apply to a new set of facts.
-You have excellent legal writing skills, including the ability to present ideas in a clear and organized manner and to write a memo that teaches the reader what you have learned through research (whether the meaning of a specific case or the state of a body of law in general).
-Your experience includes at least one clinical or externship semester or summer internship working in a litigation setting involving legal research and writing.
-You will be a D.C. Bar member by fall 2023 or will seek admission during the fellowship.
Additional Information
COMPENSATION:
Salary: $64,000 / year; two-year fellows will be eligible for a salary increase for the second year. Benefits currently provided to all ACLU-DC employees include employer-paid health insurance; vacation and sick leave; 401(k) availability with partial employer match.
TO APPLY:
The deadline for applying is 11:59PM EASTERN TIME ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2022. To apply, complete the application at https://acludc.com/dunnfellow2023. If you require accommodations to complete the application, please email operations (@) acludc.org. Please submit:
1. A copy of your resume that lists relevant experience.
2. A statement of interest of no more than 600 words that addresses the following three topics:
a. What civil rights/liberties issue do you feel is most pressing right now and why?
b. Please describe why you want this fellowship and how it fits into your short- or long-term career goals.
c. Describe a specific example of when you took ownership (or responsibility) of a project or assignment. What did it mean to you to take ownership? What was the end result?
3. A list of three references, including a sentence about each one identifying what information the person can provide. If possible, at least one of your references should be a practicing attorney.
4. In place of a transcript, a list of all law school courses that you have taken, are currently taking, or (where applicable) are scheduled to take next semester.
The ACLU-DC is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU-DC encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by the D.C. Human Rights Act or federal employment law. IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY AND NEED A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REGARDING ANY PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR ACCOMMODATION REQUEST(S) IN YOUR APPLICATION EMAIL.