Job Description

TITLE: Constitutional Litigation Fellow REPORTS TO: Litigation Director DIRECT REPORTS: None HOURS: Full-time, Exempt, Two-year fellowship LOCATION: San Francisco, CA: New York, NY; or Washington, DC

The legal experts at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence fight for a safer America by researching, drafting, and defending the laws, policies, and programs proven to save lives from gun violence. The organization was founded over 25 years ago following a gun massacre at a San Francisco law firm and was renamed in 2017 after joining forces with the gun-safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Today, Giffords Law Center provides free assistance and expertise to lawmakers, advocates, legal professionals, law enforcement officials, and citizens who seek to improve the safety of their communities. 

Giffords Law Center seeks a recent law school graduate for a fellowship focusing on the Second Amendment and other constitutional litigation theories. This role is being created to respond to recent shifts in the courts and an increased volume of gun policy litigation. The Constitutional Litigation Fellow will expand our litigation team’s capacity to draft amicus briefs and other publications on firearms law and gun violence prevention. They will also advise litigation partners, advocates, and academic community members on emerging Second Amendment and constitutional issues affecting gun policy.

This is a full-time two-year fellowship based in either our San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; or Washington, DC offices. As the safety and wellbeing of our team is of utmost importance, all Giffords staff members are working remotely until it is safe for us to resume working in an office, traveling, and holding in-person meetings. Once business travel safely resumes, this role will require occasional travel to conferences and events (20% of the time or less) and may require some work travel outside of business hours.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until position is filled. Due to high volume of applicants, no phone calls or emails, please. Giffords Law Center believes all Americans deserve to live without the fear of being shot, and therefore supports interpretations of the Constitution that advance safety and equity for communities most impacted by gun violence. Giffords Law Center is also proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. People of color, trans individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, women, people with differing abilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

DUTIES + RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with litigation team members to identify and track Second Amendment and other cases poised to set significant precedents affecting gun safety.
• Support advancement of scholarship on firearms law, including by attending or organizing conferences, and tracking or publishing articles on gun policy issues.
• Coordinate and edit amicus briefs defending gun violence prevention policies, and become the point person for designated pro bono partners or amicus briefs.
• Serve as a thought partner to Giffords teams and legislative and policy partners by advising on relevant case law, research, and jurisprudential trends; as well as the impact of judicial nominees and other breaking news involving the courts.
• Evaluate litigation partnership needs and provide technical assistance to outside lawyers defending legal challenges to gun violence prevention policies.
• Support other litigation team members with legal research and document drafting as well as organizational and case-tracking assistance.
• Draft and publish commentary, blog posts, and other public-facing materials on significant litigation developments, and other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS + EXPERIENCE

• JD degree and 0-2 years of post-law school experience.
• Commitment to Giffords Law Center’s mission.
• Experience with legal analysis, analyzing doctrinal trends, and significant research and writing projects.
• Curiosity and eagerness to gain expertise on new areas of the law and grow the development of scholarship affecting gun policy.
• Ability to creatively problem-solve, and use interpersonal skills to act as a helpful conduit of information and enthusiastic thought partner to diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to balance and prioritize faster-paced collaborative work with independent research, writing, case tracking, and editing projects.

VALUED NON-ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, + EXPERIENCE

• Law review experience, judicial externship, or judicial clerkship
• Previous familiarity with the Second Amendment, legal history, appellate litigation, US Supreme Court doctrinal trends, or public health research

COMPENSATION + BENEFITS

The salary range begins at $80,000/year with exact salary depending on experience. Benefits include employer funded health, dental, and vision insurance; health, transit, and parking flexible spending accounts; 401k plan with 4% employer match; 25 days of PTO annually; and paid holidays.

APPLYING + INTERVIEW PROCESS

Submit your resume and legal writing sample (5-15 pages), along with a cover page including any relevant information about your writing sample. A cover letter describing interest in the role is optional. Our interview process will consist of a phone interview, a video interview, a short skills assessment exercise, and reference checks.

Giffords is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. People of color, trans individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, women, people with differing abilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

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