2027 Legal Fellow Sponsorship for Organization-Funded Fellowships

About the role

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) seeks rising third-year law students, judicial clerks, and recent law graduates to sponsor for one- or two-year legal fellowships with a funding organization, such as the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, Equal Justice Works, and/or Justice Catalyst.

Responsibilities

• Work with a successful applicant to develop a project proposal to submit.
• Submit a project proposal relating to civil liberties and civil rights in New York.
• Proposed projects often combine litigation, policy advocacy, community outreach, and public education.
• Focus on immigrants' rights, racial justice, criminal justice and police accountability, voting rights, gender equity, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, education equity, privacy and technology, economic justice, Indigenous justice, environmental justice, free speech, and/or projects that incorporate more than one of these areas of focus.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to public-interest law, civil liberties, and racial justice.
• Ability to work with and support a wide range of communities and a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• Willingness to collaborate with the NYCLU to shape the project proposal through the funding application process.
• Experience in developing and submitting project proposals for national public interest law fellowships.

How to Apply

To be considered for sponsorship, please submit an application, including a resume, writing sample (no more than 5-10 pages), a cover letter, and a project proposal (no more than one-page, single-spaced) via email to Director of Human Resources Lisa DeCicco at ldecicco@nyclu.org.

Pay & Benefits

This fellowship is a union position covered by the NYCLU’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, UAW Local 2320. A fellow’s salary is subject to the NYCLU’s attorney salary scale, which is based on years since law school graduation. New law school graduates will start at $87,000 in 2027. If the fellowship pays less, the NYCLU will pay the additional amount to bring the fellow up to the attorney salary scale. The NYCLU offers a competitive benefits package in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Tatianna Sosa at tsosa@nyclu.org.