Fall 2025 Legal Fellowship Sponsorship, Reproductive Freedom Project

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 one to two years. The Reproductive Freedom Project of the National office in New York City seeks applicants to consider for a sponsored fellowship such as Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst, 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 Reproductive Freedom Project envisions a world that respects and supports each of us in making deeply personal decisions that determine the shape of our lives: with whom to form intimate relationships, and whether, when, and how to have children. In the world we see, we can all get the health care and other resources necessary to have a child, to prevent pregnancy, or to have an abortion—regardless of where we live, our income, race, age, gender identity, immigration status or whom we love.

For nearly five decades, the ACLU has been a leader in the efforts to ensure that every person has access to affordable and stigma-free abortion care. Since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, the ACLU has brought dozens of lawsuits seeking to preserve and expand access to abortion. Current cases include challenges to abortion bans in states like Ohio and Georgia, challenges to policies that seek to prevent people from traveling to get an abortion, and lawsuits seeking to significantly expand access to abortion by reducing unnecessary barriers and restoring Medicaid coverage for care. The ACLU is also a leader on efforts to preserve and expand access to medication abortion, having brought the case that led to the FDA lifting rules that prevented people from receiving their medication through the mail. Due in part to the ACLU’s efforts, medication abortion now accounts for two-thirds of abortions in this country. The Reproductive Freedom Project’s work extends beyond abortion. For example, the ACLU is currently litigating a case in Alabama - a state with woefully insufficient maternity care and appallingly high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality - which enabled the first free standing birth center to obtain a license and begin serving patients.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Fellow will conduct legal research and participate in litigation and policy work to support RFP's efforts to reimagine the right to reproductive freedom.

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 the selected candidate to develop their proposals for submission.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Conduct legal research and analysis and develop theories to support new litigation projects and policy initiatives
• Draft legal memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, motions, and briefs
• Join litigation teams and participate in team meetings
• Interview potential clients and witnesses
• Participate in discovery and trial practice as opportunities arise
• Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials 
• Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys  
• Help manage the summer and semester internship program
• Engage in public speaking about reproductive rights issues and the ACLU
• Attend Project and ACLU wide meetings

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, and reproductive freedom
• Willingness to work closely with the Reproductive Freedom Project 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.