Closing Date: 15th July, 2024
Description:
About the Position:A Non-Profit Organization is seeking to host one or more recent law graduates as public service fellows in one of our three main offices in Virginia (Richmond, Falls Church, or Charlottesville). Fellowship candidates must be rising third-year law students, third-year law students, or recent law school graduates, with a demonstrated record of public service and a willingness to apply for public interest legal fellowships. This position depends on the candidate obtaining fellowship funding from a private funding entity in partnership with LAJC.
In addition to serving clients with their legal needs, past fellows have had the opportunity to assist with clinical supervision, staff high impact cases with nationwide implications, engage in movement lawyering and community organizing, and participate in legislative and other policy advocacy.
Depending on individual interest and location preference, the fellow may work on various poverty law issues, such as: access to public benefits; housing access and affordability; consumer protection; workers' rights; healthcare and rights of people with disabilities; immigrants' rights; access to education and civil rights enforcement in schools; children's mental health rights; juvenile legal system involvement and the rights of incarcerated children; and the criminalization of poverty through policies and practices that target people because of poverty and race. However, the position ultimately entails carrying out the work as proposed in the candidate's fellowship application according to the terms and requirements of the fellowship.
Requirements:
- Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice.
- Rising third-year law student, third-year law student, or recent law graduate.
- Strong commitment to public interest work.
- Mission-aligned experience (work, volunteer, or lived) partnering with and advocating in low-wealth communities and communities of color .
- Outstanding oral advocacy, research, writing, organizational, and leadership skills.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
- Commitment to taking and passing the Virginia Bar Exam and fulfilling all requirements for licensure as an attorney in Virginia.
- Dedication to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff members and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected and safe.
- Ability and willingness to partner with Legal Aid Justice Center to apply for public interest legal fellowship opportunities.
- For applicants interested in working in Falls Church or within the Immigrant Advocacy Program or Worker Justice Program, Spanish proficiency is highly preferred.