John Payton Appellate and Supreme Court Advocacy Fellowship

Responsibilities

• Litigating the full range of racial justice issues, including educational opportunity, diversity, adequacy, access, and retention;
• Employment and housing discrimination;
• Voting rights;
• Criminal justice, with a particular focus on appellate and Supreme Court litigation;
• Drafting, and assisting in the drafting of, petitions for certiorari, merits briefs, and amicus briefs in the United States Supreme Court, other federal courts, and state courts;
• Participating in motion practice in federal district court;
• Planning and participating in moots for oral arguments;
• Assisting in the management and strategic development of LDF’s appellate and Supreme Court docket with respect to both amicus and merits briefs;
• Updating the President and Director-Counsel, Associate Director-Counsel, Director of Litigation, and legal staff on significant developments in the Supreme Court and other federal courts;
• Collaborating with LDF’s Communications Departments to ensure effective promotion of cases/matters, and coordinating advocacy tactics to complement the litigation strategy;
• Consulting and advising on complex civil rights impact cases in federal and state courts and before administrative bodies;
• Representing LDF in the media, at conferences, and in other public venues;
• Developing and maintaining relationships with community partners, coalition members, and legal allies, including other civil rights organizations;
• Preparing policy reports, memoranda, briefing papers, public education materials, and talking points for internal and external use;
• Travel as necessary;
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Possess a J.D degree and be admitted or eligible to waive into the New York or D.C. Bar;
• Have 1-3 years of litigation experience, including appellate litigation experience;
• Show a demonstrated commitment to racial justice and civil rights advocacy;
• Be a strategic thinker;
• Be an excellent brief writer with exceptional analytical, writing, and speaking skills;
• Additionally, a judicial clerkship is preferred but is not required.