Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellow Candidate

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All applications submitted by the priority deadline of August 21, 2026, will receive full consideration. Start date: September 2027 (for a two-year term).

About the role

The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) is seeking a candidate to jointly apply for an Equal Justice Works Fellowship. Founded in 2009, CFSY advocates to ban extreme sentences for children in the United States, ensure meaningful review opportunities for children in the criminal legal system, and create opportunities for those directly impacted by extreme sentencing to thrive and lead.

The Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellow will work on CFSY’s Legal & Policy Team, focusing on implementation of current policy in Missouri. CFSY will work with the selected fellowship candidate to further develop a proposal that builds on the candidate’s interests and skills, ensures appropriate supervision, and fits with CFSY’s priorities.

Potential Project: Strategic Implementation

Missouri has experienced a patchwork of legislation and court decisions affecting children prosecuted in the adult criminal legal system. While important reforms have expanded retroactive parole eligibility for some youth, other legal developments have limited or complicated access to relief. This fellowship would help ensure that these reforms are implemented consistently and effectively while strengthening support for youth serving lengthy sentences and their families.

• Coordinating implementation of recent youth sentencing reforms across the state
• Providing technical assistance and legal resources to attorneys and other stakeholders
• Creating resources for youth serving lengthy sentences and their loved ones to navigate review and parole processes
• Matching eligible individuals with pro bono legal representation
• Documenting implementation challenges, successes, and emerging best practices
• Strengthening networks of directly impacted individuals and families to support advocacy and peer engagement
• Building partnerships with community organizations to expand reentry and supportive services

This fellowship will provide targeted implementation support in Missouri, helping ensure that recent legal developments translate into meaningful opportunities for youth, documenting lessons learned, and developing resources that can inform implementation efforts in other states.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (or expect one before the start of the fellowship)
• Experience with criminal law and criminal legal systems (which may be obtained through employment, internships, law school clinics or practicums, and/or lived experience)
• Excellent legal research and writing abilities
• Attention to detail
• Organizational and computer literacy (Outlook, Google Apps, video conferencing)
• Experience with and/or passion for working with those most impacted by mass incarceration
• Alignment with CFSY’s values of centering the directly impacted in our work

Values and Traits

• Strong interest in criminal legal reform, particularly ending harsh youth sentencing practices, racial discrimination, and human rights abuses in the United States
• Belief that our society has failed the children impacted by life without parole and other extreme sentences, and that we all have a responsibility to create avenues for their restoration and that of our entire community
• Belief in the inherent good, dignity, and humanity of all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, class, education level, zip code, and more
• Belief that every one of us is more than the worst things we’ve done or experienced
• A willingness to learn
• Flexible and able to adapt to the evolving nature of CFSY’s work
• Constructive and optimistic; confronts problems with the expectation that a solution exists
• Prioritizes self-care

Location and Travel

CFSY’s headquarters are in Washington, DC, with many staff working remotely throughout the country. Candidates with connections to Missouri and/or residing in Missouri and surrounding states are strongly encouraged, but all qualified candidates will be seriously considered. The Equal Justice Works Fellow can work remotely and is expected to travel up to 3-4 times per year. Staff are expected to participate in in-person, all-staff gatherings approximately 1-2 times per year, which are frequently hosted in Washington, DC, but may require travel to other locations. All required home-office technology, equipment and supplies, and all business-related travel is paid for by CFSY.

Physical Environment and Equipment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone
• Specific vision abilities include close vision requirements due to computer work
• Ability to effectively use a telephone, including mobile phone; computer (with Microsoft and Google applications); keyboard; and video conferencing
• Ability to travel to a variety of locations in the continental United States via plane, train, and/or car

Benefits

The CFSY offers a generous benefits package, including:

• Four weeks of annual paid vacation and accrued sick time
• 100% employer-paid premiums for an individual health insurance plan, life and disability insurance
• An Employee Assistance Program
• The option for an 8-week sabbatical after five consecutive years of employment
• A 403(b) retirement plan

This position is full-time and non-exempt.

CFSY believes in and actively practices meaningful connection to individuals directly impacted by extreme prison sentences. All staff at CFSY, regardless of role and position, engage in this connection and are regularly proximate to those directly impacted by the work we do.