Litigation Fellowship, Equality & Opportunity (Fall 2027)

About the Role

The PLF Litigation Fellowship is a year-long fellowship position for recent law-school graduates. You will assist the Equality & Opportunity team in ongoing cases, learn to develop a public interest case from the ground up, receive hands-on training in research and writing, and study the classical liberal principles that guide our work. You will also be encouraged and expected to take on additional challenges, including legal research projects and communications efforts. You will work on teams with junior and senior attorneys, adding your skills and perspective to elevate our ability to win important victories for liberty. You will have the latitude to think big and the resources to execute your ideas. You will be at the forefront of shaping the law for all Americans.

Responsibilities

• Working closely with attorneys to develop precedent-setting cases.
• Actively participating throughout all stages of a case, from pre-litigation public records requests to discovery and appellate work, including pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Drafting briefs, comment letters, and research memoranda.

Ideal Candidate

• A passion for liberty and excited to get a crash-course in public-interest law.
• A demonstrated interest in equal protection and economic liberty under the 14th Amendment.
• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills.
• A knowledge of and passion for the ideas of freedom and individual liberty.
• Excellent legal research and writing skills.

About Pacific Legal Foundation

Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation's first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 21 cases litigated at the Court. We have nearly 200 active cases across the nation. We are a next-generation public interest law firm. What does "next-generation" mean for a legal nonprofit? It means we aren't interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation's courts and the court of public opinion. Our mission comes to life through four practice areas: Property Rights, Equality & Opportunity, Separation of Powers, and Environment & Natural Resources.

Pacific Legal Foundation's Equality & Opportunity practice group aims to secure equal freedom for all by dismantling unconstitutional barriers to economic opportunity and ensuring that all individuals can rise based on their choices, character, and ability, without regard to their immutable characteristics.

Fellowship Details

• Full-time, one-year fellowship for recent law school graduates, beginning September 1, 2027.
• Salary of $100,000.
• Eligible for consideration for a permanent position upon successful completion of the program.
• PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, CA; Arlington, VA; and Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Approximately half of the staff work from home across the country. Litigation Fellows will get the richest experience by spending a few days each week in our Arlington, VA office, though remote participation is also available.
• PLF offers a competitive compensation package, a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment, and encourages internal advancement.

Application Process

We will be accepting applications from August 14 to November 1. With only two spots available per practice area and strong interest expected, we encourage candidates to apply early. Our goal is to extend all offers by January. If you believe you're a good fit, please submit the following application materials:

• Your resume, including your experience in the liberty movement and relevant professional experience.
• A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
• A legal writing sample.

This application is for a fellowship within the Equality & Opportunity practice group, so we ask that you apply only once — to the group you're most excited about. If you'd like to be considered for other practice areas as well, you'll have a chance to indicate that within your application.