2025 Legal Fellowship Sponsorship, Trone Center for Justice & Equality

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU invites rising third-year law students and law graduates to apply for a sponsorship opportunity to work with us as a Legal Fellow for up to two years. The Trone Center for Justice and Equality of the National office in San Francisco, CA or New York, NY seeks applicants to consider for a sponsored fellowship such as Skadden, Equal Justice Works, or other public interest fellowships to begin in the fall of 2025. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The ACLU’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality leads cutting edge litigation focused on combatting inequity, oppression and dehumanization in the criminal legal system and systemic inequalities faced by communities of color across the country. The Center is comprised of five Projects/Programs working on these issues: the Capital Punishment Project, the National Prison Project, the Racial Justice Program, Criminal Law Reform Project, and the John Adams Project.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Trone Center Director, the Fellow will be a core member of the Trone Center team and will be an integral part of the Center’s unhoused justice work. The fellow will also work collaboratively with various ACLU projects and affiliates on litigation and advocacy related to racial justice and criminal legal system change.

The Trone Center welcomes applications from prospective fellows who are interested in protecting and furthering the rights of unhoused people. The Trone Center is particularly interested in candidates for a potential fellowship project focused on litigation and integrated advocacy strategies geared towards achieving affirmative solutions to homelessness. The fellow would develop novel legal claims under state and federal law and a policy platform and advocacy materials to safeguard the rights of unhoused people and promote effective solutions to homelessness. The fellow would also support ongoing unhoused justice litigation and amicus efforts in the Trone Center and may also assist with other litigation and advocacy related to criminal legal system change and racial justice.

We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by July 19, 2024.

The Fellow must secure external funding, please email [email protected] for funding requirements. Our staff will work with candidates to develop their proposals for submission, helping tailor the proposal to address an important civil liberties issue.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Conduct legal research and analysis and develop theories to support new litigation projects
• Draft legal memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, motions, and briefs
• Interview witnesses and potential clients
• Participate in discovery and trial practice
• Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials
• Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys
• Help manage summer legal internship program and supervise student interns

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• J.D. or expected to receive a J.D by the spring of 2025
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, civil liberties, criminal justice, and racial justice
• Willingness to work closely with The Trone Center for Justice and Equality through the funding application process
• Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team

COMPENSATION

The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances):

• 0-2 years since law school graduation: $89,250-$111,491
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $124,873-$147,324
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $154,069- $173,808
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $177,058-$187,108
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $188,874-$193,738
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $194,719-$198,708
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $199,666- $203,553

These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY. The salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid-time off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization - one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.